Shattered Gemstones
by Iatos
Summary: A story of destruction, discovery, redemption, adventure, and human nature. Hoenn has been battered by forces unknown over five long years. Now the disaster period is over, so what remains? And what has yet to take place?
1. A prolouge in the form of a history

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a story that has taken various forms over the years. I finally found a way to manifest it a few months ago, and here we are. Just a note before we begin: This story is also readable on , a website for which I write. The story is much farther ahead there. After the first several chapters, which will catch us up to where the story is on , updates will appear here a week after they appear on the site. If you'd like to read the chapters sooner, please visit the website!

**Prolouge**

**May 28****th****, 2005**

Maxie and Archie, heads of teams Magma and Aqua, steal the red and blue orbs from Mt. Pyre.

**May 30****th****, 2005**

Groudon is awakened in the caverns of the Team Magma base, and escapes.

Kyogre is awakened in the Seafloor Cavern, and goes after Groudon.

The two clash in Sootopolis, resuming their age-old battle.

Hoenn's champion, Wallace goes to Sky Pillar, accompanied by a trainer named Brendan. Rayquaza is awakened, and flies to Sootopolis.

Rayquaza ends the battle between Kyogre and Groudon, who return to slumber deep within the caves of Hoenn. Rayquaza returns to Spear Pillar.

**June 2****nd****, 2005**

Archie and Maxie return to Mt. Pyre, returning the sacred orbs. Hoenn is seemingly at peace once more.

**August 21****th****, 2005**

Hoenn's terrain becomes inexplicably disrupted. Violent storms begin occurring at sea, and the tide around the mainland experiences a sudden rise of between 15 and 20 feet. The mainland is seized by violent tremors and earthquakes. Mt. Chimeny begins erupting frequently, and Lavaridge is evacuated.

**August 29****th****, 2005**

A massive earthquake occurs at Mt. Pyre. The surrounding water is disrupted, sending small tidal waves crashing down on the surrounding routes. Lilycove is completely ravaged. Over 70 people are killed, and many more are injured.

As quakes and storms ravage the mainland, evacuation attempts begin, but many are hindered by the disasters, ever-increasing in frequency and destructive power. Gym leaders are relieved of normal duties to assist the evacuation and protection of Hoenn's citizens. Due to the seeming safety of the islands of the region, Brawly, Juan, Liza and Tate are sent to the mainland as well, to aid in the effort.

Ever Grande is established as the central refugee camp.

**September 3****rd****, 2005**

A tsunami completely engulfs Fortree. 300 are confirmed dead. Many other citizens are badly injured, and many of those die shortly after. Winonna, one of the last to abandon the city, survives but is badly injured. Luckily, the water flows down the mountains towards Mt. Pyre bay, and no other cities are hit.

Meteor Falls begins caving in. Trainers within are evacuated by Roxanne, who does not make it out and is later reported dead by the evacuees.

**September 4****th****, 2005**

Littleroot is ravaged by a large quake. Luckily, all citizens have been evacuated. Contact is lost with Brawly, overseeing the evacuation of Oldale.

The elite 4, Brendan(the newly-crowned champion), and former champion Wallace are called forth to aid in the evacuation. Contact with Steven is attempted as well, but fails. He is presumed to have died in Meteor Falls, where he was last reportedly seen.

Fallarbor is siezed by a massive series of fissures in the earth, claiming over half of the small towns homes and lives.

**September 9****th****, 2005**

Rustboro is overtaken by a series of massive waves rising upon it from the cliffs. Communication with Roxanne and Brendan, stationed there at the time, are lost. Rustboro's situation is unknown, and Roxanne and Brendan are reported missing in action.

**September 12****th****, 2005**

Evacuations of the mainland are complete. Refugees head to Ever Grande and the other islands. Wattson is MIA, and Pheobe reported dead, in the evacuation of Mauville. Brendan comes out of the wreckage of Rustboro carrying a severely injured but alive Roxanne.

The battle Frontier is established as a temporary refugee camp, due to overpopulation by refugees.

**September 17****th****, 2005**

Due to overpopulation of the islands, towns are created on two of Hoenn's small, uninhabited islands. These towns are to be named Newflint City and Vistian Town.

**November 2****nd****, 2005**

Newflint and Vistian are completed, and settlement by mainland refugees begins.

Quakes and storms continue on the mainland, the entirety of which is declared unsafe.

**March 26****th****, 2006**

After a long political debate, Hoenn is split into two regions. The mainland keeps the name Hoenn, and the islands become the region of New Hoenn.

**February 7****th****, 2011**

Five years after the abandonment of Hoenn, the disasters are reported to have ended. The waters around the mainland become peaceful once more, and the earths seizures come to an end.

**April 19****th****, 2011**

**New Hoenn's government makes a decision on how to handle the resettlement of Hoenn. Teams consisting of construction personnel and Pokemon trainers will be sent out before any settlers. The job of the workers is to rebuild the towns and cities as quickly as possible. The trainers are to travel the region, pioneering and surveying it for the rest of the population. Very few trainers are willing to do this. Besides the remaining gym leaders and elite 4 members, most of the trainers who sign up for this undertaking are young and ambitious, full of blind promise, unknowing of what awaits them. They will lead the natives of Hoenn back to their homeland.**

**If there is any homeland to return to.**

**This story is © Jay Petrequin and . **


	2. Chapter 1: History of a Gambler

**Part 1**

**Outward and forward**

**Chapter 1**

**History of a gambler**

**Toby**

The alarm forcefully blasts me out of a comfortable sleep. I awake grudgingly to the sound of some scratchy-voiced dude screaming into a microphone, to a background of gritty guitars and lazy but energetic drumming. The clock reads 6:15.

_Today's the day._

I sit up, surveying my bedroom. The walls are a pale grey, made of old stone, never painted. I never had time. They're covered with photographs and posters, though, from all over the world. Mementos of a time long past, when I never really had time to get attached to a place. Maybe things were better that way.

I shuffle out of my bedroom, into the small kitchen. The house is small, but never really needed to be large. Like all of the houses in Sootopolis, it is old and stone. Its walls are sturdy, built to last, and hold a kind of rustic charm. The living room, the largest part of the house, even holds insets of lapis lazuli along the corners of the walls, and the dark stone fireplace has very old stencils painted along its sides. It's almost as if this place was built with the sole intention of beauty. If this is actually true, then whoever built it did a damn good job.

I reach into a cupboard, taking out a frying pan. I toss it down on the stove, turn on the heat, and walk over the edge of the kitchen counter, where a large fish tank holds a small, blue fish Pokemon, with two antenna that glow a soft yellow at their ends. His name is Checkers, and he's a Chinchou. He's also the only friend I really had for a while.

Ever since I was little - probably 5 or 6 - I lived solely with my father. I don't remember what happened to my mother, and my dad would never tell me. Whatever happened, she left my life early enough that I'm not even too interested in finding out what happened to her. I don't even know her name, so I'm not sure where I would begin looking anyway.

My father loved one thing in the world far more than anything else, and that was gambling. He tended to have good luck at the tables, and was smart, always keeping enough money to buy our next few meals. Whenever he won enough to take a trip, we'd be off to a new city, a new region…as far as I was concerned, a new world. I've been virtually everywhere, from the famous game corner of Celadon City to the underground gambling clubs of Orre, and everywhere else in between. My dad believed that since life was so short and uncertain, you should live it to its fullest. He made sure I was raised following this same philosophy as well. He home schooled me all my life, teaching me as we traveled. He also made me a student of gambling. He taught me every card game he knew, including a couple he came up with himself. He taught me the value of having some kind of lucky charm, because the mentality of thinking you have enhanced luck can up your concentration on the game.

My father wasn't a drinker, or drug user, or anything like that. He was very respectable, much more than the usual slime you find at the card tables. He had values, and rules he set for himself. He wasn't brilliant, but he had a certain wisdom about life, and he did his best to pass that along to me.

Fast-forward to last year. I was 18, and we had come here to Sootopolis. A gambling corner had just opened there, and my dad decided that was a good reason to return to my birthplace. We had stayed there for a couple weeks, renting a small house on the towns northern end, when I found two policemen at the door. My father, they said, had been shot dead at the game corner, right at the poker table. He had just won big, and some drunk guy he was playing with didn't like that at all. He pulled out a pistol and sent two shots into my father - one in his neck, a second just above his left eye. Apparently he had shot someone else too, who wasn't even involved. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered to me then except that my father, the man who had taught me everything I knew, had died.

The next few months were a blurry hell. I stayed in the apartment my father and I had rented, living on legal aid. I lived without a purpose, save for gambling. But not even that, which had been my fathers very reason for life, was enough. I was no longer the student, but I wasn't ready to be the master of my own life. That was the one thing my father had never taught me how to do.

Then, about five months ago, it happened. I was walking the shore near the center of the town, not too far from the little island where the gym sat, when I noticed something floating in the water. At first I thought it was nothing but debris, but then noticed it had fins, that stroked the water slowly. It was small, round, and pale blue, and I realized it was a Pokemon. A chinchou. It looked sick, with eyes barely open and antennae glowing a very faint orange. I had seen Chinchou before, as they were local to the area, and there was something not at all right about this one.

What I did next, I'm not sure why I did. I reached out and gently scooped the creature out of the water, cradling it in my arms. I looked at it as it squirmed weakly. It was probably trying to fight, but was too weak to do so. I ran it to the Pokemon center, and got it looked at. Whatever was wrong with it, they managed to heal it easily. I remember sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear that it was okay, not sure why I was even there. It was just a wild Chinchou.

After what felt like hours, a nurse approached me from a door behind the service desk. "Sir, your Chinchou is doing fine. Thank you for bringing it in, he was in bad condition but we have him resting now. He'll be fine in no time."

Hearing those words filled me with more happiness than I realized I was still capable of feeling. Something about the way she said it… "YOUR chinchou…" The idea of having something to call my own again was astounding. I felt obligated to take to take the little guy in, but now I realize that the obligation was just an excuse. Deep inside, I wanted a purpose again.

And so I gave myself one. I named the Chinchou Checkers, and cared for him for months. When the news came of the mainland becoming safe once more, I decided to sign up as a trainer. Checkers had given me a new purpose, and I was excited to accept whatever came with it.

Checkers is awake now, swimming slow circles around his tank. I watch him as I pour myself coffee, my eyes following his bobbing antennae as he bobs around. Over the last month I joined a local trainers club, leaned all I could to prepare both of us for what's to come. I battled with the other locals, and got Checkers strong enough to hold his own.

He makes a little coo, pausing in his swimming to stare at me. "You ready, bud?" I ask. "Todays the day." He splashes about, and returns to swimming laps.

I step outside. The front door of the apartment is affixed to a large deck that encompasses several other buildings, all owned by the same lady. The deck leads a ways out, standing a ways above the steep cliff stairways that lead down into the central area of the town, with a stairway leading down to its edge. I can't see the sunrise yet, blocked by the tall grey rock that surrounds on all sides. I walk to the edge of the deck, from where I can get a good view of the harbor far below. A large ship sits at the dock, with people and Pokemon rushing to load it with cargo. From way up here they look tiny.

_Today's the day. Over the last month or two, I realized that maybe it was a good thing that my father left my life, as untimely as it was. If he had lived, we would've just kept traveling. This way, I got to discover a new path, new ambition…something new to do with my life. I respect the size and scale of my fathers footprints, but I no longer care about following in them. My life is my own…and this is where it really begins._

_. _


	3. Chapter 2: Silence of a Wanderer

**Chapter 2**

**Silence of a wanderer**

**Keith**

He's quiet. And by quiet, I mean silent, apart for the slow, rhythmic tap of one foot as he sits. He hasn't said a word since telling me his name. That's about all I know about him. Maybe he's just as nervous as I am.

We sit on a long bench at the edge of the sand. In front of us is an empty pier, with only one boat at the water's edge. That's not the boat we're waiting to get on, though. Our boat won't be here for a little while.

As we sit, the waves lap lazily at the shore. It's a very calm morning. The sky is cloudless, yielding a clear view of the slowly rising sun. A light breeze blows across the sand, sending little waves of dust airborne. The calmness feels like a sendoff, like the island is saying goodbye to us.

Back to my companion. He's younger than me, 16 to my 20. He's small but muscled, with brown skin and hair that doesn't look like it's ever been washed. He's a very innocent looking kid, with very childlike features. I guess you could call it cute. Maybe that's what drew me to him. Despite how he looks, though, he gives off an eerie vibe, one of fear and instinctive distrust.

I met him about a month ago, in line to sign up for the Hoenn expedition. He stood in front of me in line, staring into space as he waited his turn to apply. A small Pokemon trotted about at his feet. Dark grey, with a silver shell. An Aron. It noticed me watching it, and matched my gaze steadily. Its eyes were larger than most Aron, and yellow-green instead of the normal blue. After a moment, it looked away, returning to prodding at its masters shoes with its nose. Its trainer looked down at it, then behind him to me. "Cute Pokemon." I said, glancing down at the Aron (who was now trying to eat one of its trainers' shoelaces.)

The trainer looked down at his Pokemon as well, with a small smile. "Yeah…thanks. He's a good little guy."

"Strong enough to go to the mainland?" I asked. The question seemed to take him off-guard for a moment, which was odd considering that was the only reason he would be here now. "That's, um…that's what I'm hoping, yeah." His reply was awkward, as if he didn't understand why I was talking to him and was hoping I would stop. So I did.

Now, you may be wondering, if this small conversation was our first encounter, how did anything come from it?

I have a team of three Pokemon, and I almost always train them in Granite Cave, the only really good place on the island to do so. This morning, on the day we ship out for Hoenn, I took them up to the cave early for a last bit of training…and also to say goodbye to the place. When we arrived, however, we were not alone.

He was there, the kid with the Aron. They both stood at the caves entrance, staring into the dark cavern. The kid was talking softly to his Pokemon, words I couldn't make out from even a few feet away. He didn't turn around as I approached, but he stiffened, no longer talking. The silence was deafening.

After a moment, he did turn. His face was stony and blank, but his eyebrows lifted briefly in recognition. "You…" He started, then trailed off. A small cry came from behind him, and his Aron waddled forward. I hadn't recognized the trainer up until now, but when I saw his green-eyed Aron, I remembered.

"Hi," I said awkwardly, "sorry if I disturbed you. I just came to say goodbye to the place, y'know?"

The kid was silent, his eyes drilling into mine. He sill held a stony expression, but the blankness in his eyes was replaced by a strange fierceness. He gazed at me for a moment, and then nodded. He turned back to the cave entrance, his head turned to look back at me.

"I've seen you in here. All the time, you bring your Pokemon in here."

Okay, I'll admit, this caught me off-guard. Some random kid I had barely ever met was telling me he'd been watching me? I didn't reply, waiting for him to continue. But he didn't. Instead, he walked into the cave, the darkness quickly swallowing him up. His Aron followed, and so, after a moment of hesitation, did I. I felt like I had a right to know what he was talking about.

Inside the cave, it was dark. Well, of course it was dark, it was a cave, but just then the darkness was more noticeable, mainly because I couldn't see the kid I was trying to follow. I could hear his footsteps, and I knew this cave well, but the nature of what I had just heard disturbed me a little, and I was having trouble concentrating.

"Garnett, use flash." The kids voice spoke out of the darkness, and after a moment it was accompanied by a bright flash, which singed my eyes. It faded, replaced by a dull green glow coming from the eyes of the trainers Aron. It wasn't very bright, but it was enough to illuminate the area. It was nice to able to see, but the surprise of the light had my attention now. "I never knew Aron could do that." I said.

"Most can't." The trainer replied, not stopping his pace. "It's his eyes." Then he turned to face me once more. His face was still stone-cold, but I could see in his eyes that he wasn't sure how much to tell me. He had very expressive eyes.

"When I said I had seen you before…" he said, "I didn't mean I had been watching you. I live here. Or, I have for a while, anyways." He turned back around and continued his pace through the large tunnel that consisted of the cave's top layer. His abrupt change of topic was odd, as if he was purposefully avoiding the topic of his Pokemon.

"What, you live somewhere in the cave?" I asked. Why would someone want to live here, I wondered, in the dark, damp, Zubat-infested cave? I didn't ask that part, of course.

"That's right." He said, not elaborating at all. I decided not to press him further, quickly learning as I was that he was a man of few words.

We walked to the far end of the tunnel, past the passage that led down to the cave's lower levels. At this end, the stone had been worn away at so it formed a crude staircase up to the rocky hill that ran along the cave walls. My guide stopped, bending down to pick up his Aron. He tucked the little Pokemon, stubby legs wiggling around, under his shoulder, and proceeded up the rocky stairs. I followed.

Up on the ledge was a small exit, through which some early morning light shone lazily. This was one of several small gaps in the cave walls that illuminated the upper area of the cavern. The silent trainer entered this passageway, and I followed. I hadn't really expected what I found on the other side.

We exited into a large stone chamber. The rock walls were high, but the ceiling was open. The sun was still low enough that very little light penetrated the place. The strange part was in what occupied the chamber. There was a large mattress on the floor of the far side, with several pillows and blankets strewn around. There were stacks of books and binders lying around, and two picnic coolers sat near the entrance. The walls of the cave were plastered with drawings.

"I live here." He still stood ahead of me, not turning to look at me, but he had stopped walking in the center of the room. I noticed him clench his fists. I approach him, standing beside him and joining him in the center of the room. I feel something soft below my feet, and notice a round carpet in the middle of the room.

"Why are you showing me this?" I asked. He didn't respond at first, but turned to look at me. His eyes were blank again. He bent down, lowering his still-squirming Aron to the ground, where the Pokemon waddled over to me and began prodding my foot with its nose.

"…I wanted to prove that I wasn't a bad person." He spoke quietly and slowly. "I kind of…just want someone to talk to. Where we're going, I'm a little scared. I kept seeing you around, and just thought…" He breathes in slowly, and exhales. "I'm sorry. I just didn't really know how else to…"

It was at that moment when I realized something about this strange young man I had barely met. This quiet trainer, with the intense eyes that seemed to speak far more than his words or actions, had no idea how to talk to people. As I looked around the etched-out cave where this kid apparently made his home, I saw the portrait of someone who had lived his entire life in solitude. I didn't even know his name, and yet I felt like I was quickly leaning a lot about him. He wanted a companion on this trip, one besides his Pokemon, but didn't know how to find someone. If he lived here, then he had seen me train with my Pokemon time and time again for however long he's been living there, and when we met signing up for the expedition and he recognized me, maybe he saw that as a chance to try and find someone to travel the mainland with. I couldn't possibly understand his logic or the way he thought, but I would learn to accept it.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "It's okay. I get it. You just don't want to be alone out there, right?" He looked at me, but then averted his eyes to the ground. I couldn't help but smile a little.

"Do you want to travel with me?" I prodded. He looked back up at my face. His eyes were calm, focused. An odd contrast to how he had just looked. We stayed silent for a moment.

"…Yes." His reply was quiet, but I could hear happiness in it. I realized how monotonously he had spoken up until now. His face contorted into confusion. "You don't even know me, though…"

"That's okay." I said. "It's still better to travel with someone else, right?" I tried to sound as cheerful as I could, to hide how I felt. I was already nervous about this trip, and although the thought of traveling with someone else was comforting, the fact remained that this kid was a little strange. But there's one thing I haven't mentioned, which is a philosophy I've used as long as I can remember. No matter what doubts I may have about an important decision, I always follow my gut. And in this case, for whatever reason, my gut told me to stay with this kid, this crazy weird boy I just met.

As we left the cave, I asked him his name. "Jacob." he replied, quietly and quickly. After he went silent again, I didn't bother to try and prod more out of him. I decided I'd give him a while. The words I wanted to ask were replaced by the sounds of early waves striking at the shore of the beach.

And so here we sit now. In the distance, I can now faintly see the boat that will take us to the mainland. I decide to ask Jacob one last thing before we embark. Something that's been bothering me since the cave. I turn to look at him, and he is staring out at the sea like he has been for about half an hour now.

"So, how long have you been living alone like that?

He doesn't respond, at least not in words, but his actions spoke volumes. He keeps his eyes fixed on the sea, but more rigidly now. His hands tighten into fists, and his foot stops tapping.

After a moment, he turns his head to look at me. There is fury in his eyes, blazing like fire. It is like staring into the mouth of a dragon. And for the first time in the short period I know this boy…

…I fear him.

Just a reminder, you can read this on . This story is © Jay Petrequin and The Pokemon Podcast. It's Super Effective.


	4. Chapter 3: Denial of a Mother

**Chapter 3**

**Denial of a Mother**

**Tess**

"Tess?"

She's knocking on my door again. I wish she'd stop.

"Tess, open the door. Let's talk about this." I wonder how long I'll have to put up with this until she gives up.

"Tess…Arceus. Roger, can you try talking to her?" She's talking to my father now, but I can't make out what they're saying. I'm pretty sure I get the jist of it, though. My father has accepted what I'm doing, he knows that it's already official. He's proud of me. I'm my daddy's girl. My mother is the one who doesn't get it.

"Tess!" She's back to my door. I can faintly hear my father as well, talking my mother, trying to get her to stop. I tone her out, staring at the far wall of my room. I'm laying on my side, curled into a ball. My hands are grasped together tightly, sweatily. I want to leave my room, go outside to the water, get my Pokemon, and either mill around the boat landing until the boat comes or hide at the Pokemon center.

My mother has stopped knocking now, and is arguing loudly with my father.

"She's sixteen!"

"Trainers start out younger than that, you know that. I was only thirteen when I got my first Pokemon…"

"I don't care! It's way too dangerous out there! She thinks she's just going to waltz out there and have adventures, but it's going to be so much more dangerous!"

"That's not how it is, Martha. You can't compromise with her. She made up her mind a month ago, and it's official. You've had time to accept that she's leaving…"

"SHE IS NOT LEAVING!"

I wince at the last sentence. I admire my father for still putting up with this and trying to get my mother to understand. I gave up on that a long time ago, before the mainland even became inhabitable again. She's still convincing herself that it's just some phase I'm going through, that she can just talk me out. She's blocking out the truth, which is that not only have I already made myself clear that she can't keep me from doing this now, but that me leaving is something that would have eventually happened anyway. I've been training for years, ever since…

My train of thought is sucked into a black hole as I hear another knock on my door. It's firmer this time, but gentler. My father's fist.

"Tess, it's just me. Can I come in?"

I lay there for a moment. I'm not sure what he wants, but it can't be worse than letting my mother in. I stand up, shuffle over the door, and open it to find my father standing there. He's tall and well-muscled, but has scruffy brown hair, a baby face, and glasses, which keep him from looking intimidating. My mother is there too, but leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed and eyes fixed on the floor. I move to the side, letting my father in, and then close the door quickly.

He walks over to my bed and sits down, looking up at me. He's smiling, but his eyes are sad. I pull up my desk chair and sit down.

"I'm proud of you, you know." He says. I smile.

"Yeah, I know."

"Your mother's just protective."

"I know. I get that. I'm just tired of it. I know she doesn't get this, she doesn't understand how much this means to me. She still thinks its something she can prevent."

"It's not her fault. We were very lucky to make it out of Slateport when we did, especially when…" He trails off, his eyes fixated on the floor. I grimace. We've moved into territory I don't want to think about right now.

"Hey," he says, breaking the silence. "That's not important. I know you feel ready, so let's get you ready to get out there." He stands up, looking at the list of things to bring pinned to my wall, the list he helped me make a few days ago. "Is there anything you still need to pack?"

I stand up, walking to the far corner of my room. I pick up a large duffel bag, and hold it up for him to see. "I think I'm all set." I say. "I've got clothes, potions and pokeballs, a first aid kit, and some emergency food. Anything else I should be taking?"

"A tent?"

"I looked into it, they supply us with camping equipment when we arrive. Anything else?"

He nods, and thinks for a moment, and then snaps his finger, a habit of his whenever he thinks of anything important. "Something recreational. I like that you're thinking practically here, but you'll have extra time to kill. Back when I was a trainer, I spent a fair amount of time waiting out rainstorms under a tent, reading or writing."

"So books?" I ask, looking at my shamefully small bookshelf, which contains mostly textbooks and other nonfiction books.

"Not necessarily, just whatever you'd like that can keep you busy when you have nothing to do. Having something interesting to do can help you make some friends while you're out there. Besides that, sounds like you're golden." He walks back to my door, opening it. "Come out whenever you're ready, I'll make sure to tie your mother down." I laugh, and smile as he walks out.

_What to bring…_

I don't want to bring anything too large. My bag is pretty full as it is, and already holds my Pokemon trainer field guide. My bookshelf doesn't hold much I care about taking with me. I scrunch up my lips as I peruse my measly collection of classics and nonfiction.

Two things catch my eye; One is an old, battered book of folktales, from Hoenn and the surrounding regions. I bought it at a flea market in Mosdeep when my family and I went there on vacation a couple years ago. I love the old thing, but haven't read more than half of the stories in it. I like myths, but can only take them in small doses.

The second thing I notice is a pocket sketchbook. Drawing has always been a passive hobby of mine, and I like to keep small books like this around. I take the book off the shelf and leaf through it, realizing the book is still mostly unused. _Why not,_ I decide. _I'll probably find some cool stuff to draw along the way._

I take the folktale book off the shelf as well, and stuff the two into my bag, along with a couple mostly unused pens from my desk. I survey my room one last time. _I guess I'm ready._ I grab my faded red hoodie off of my bed and put it on, zipping it up halfway, snatch my hat, a faded ball cap I've had since I was too young to remember, off my desk, put it on backwards, and open the door.

Time to face her one last time.

She's sitting on the couch when I walk into the living room. When she looks up, she has a few tears in her eyes. _Great. Here comes the guilt trip._

She stands up.

"Tess…" I really don't want to talk to her. I'm afraid she'll start screaming. She hasn't yet, but now is when she would. I respond carefully, not really sure how to tread.

"I'm going, mom." _Crap, that sounded too defensive._

"Honey, please think about this-"

"I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT, MOTHER!" Suddenly, I'm the one raising my voice. All bets are off. Whatever happens here will be my last memory of my mother for a long time. I didn't exactly expect it to be a good one. I continue.

"YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS FOR A MONTH! EVEN BEFORE THAT, YOU'VE SEEN ME WITH MY DAMN POKEMON! YOU KNEW I'D LEAVE EVENTUALLY!"

"YOU'RE SIXTEEN!" Now she's shouting, too. I hear my father's footsteps coming quickly from down the hall.

"SO WAS MICHAEL!"

My mother goes silent. My words cut her like glass. Her hands start shaking, and it's almost as if I can see blood dripping from her mouth.

"That…" Her voice is very quiet. Very controlled. "…is what I'm afraid of. I already lost him, I won't lose you too…"

That's it. I have a definite breaking point, and after five years she has just managed to finally touch it. I break.

I clench my fist, and step forward. "MICHAEL DIED GETTING US OFF THE MAINLAND! HE DIED WITH HONOR! NONE OF US WOULD EVEN BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW IF IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF HIM, YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH!" She recoils at my words, sitting back down. _Is this really me? _Everything I'm saying right now has been a long time coming, but for some reason I never foresaw myself acting like this.

I feel my father's hand on my shoulder. I turn to see him. He looks solemn, but understanding. He probably knew this was how things would go. There were a lot of unsaid things that would be unloaded today. My mother is silent for a minute, and then begins to cry. I can't look at her. "Can we go?" I whisper to my father. He nods. "Go ahead and get Char and Rosa, I'll be there soon." I give him a quick hug in thanks and walk out the door.

I close the door behind me and breathe the sea breeze. I lean against the door for a minute, and on comes the guilt. I can't believe what I just said to my mother. I doubt things will ever be the same between us again. I look out at the stone platforms and corsola-held rafts that make up the surface of my town.

This town is so strange. I honestly never liked it. When we came here, I just didn't understand the place. I love swimming, both of my Pokemon were caught here in the sea, but this town just feels wrong. Illogical. I hate it.

_My mother. Pacifidlog town. Two things it would probably be best if I never see again._

I walk to the water's edge, slip my sandals off, and sit, dipping my feet into the cold water. After a minute, two familiar faces swim up to me. My Pokemon. I pick up Rosa, my Corsola, who makes a small cry of surprise. I set her down on the raft beside me and pick up the other Pokemon, Charybdis. He's a Horsea, with fan-shaped horns that curve towards each other at the back of his head.

"You guys ready? It's time to go!" Charybdis responds by spraying water in my face. I drop him back into the water, wipe water out of my eyes, and laugh.

"Cheering up?"

I turn around, seeing my father walk up to me. I'm very glad it's just him and not my mother. I stand up.

"I'm really sorry about what I said back there…"

"Don't worry. She's proud of you, Tess. She really is. She's just afraid that what happened to Michael could happen to you."

"…Do you think it could?"

"Tess," he puts his hands on my shoulders. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not going to be worried about you. I'm your father. But finally speaking your mind to your mom took some nerve, and I'm glad I got to see that side of you. Your brother didn't really have that, and yet he still did great things."

"…"

"…"

"I miss him, dad."

"I know, Tess. I do too."

We hug, and I can feel myself start to cry. _Damn it, _I can't help but criticize myself. _I'm such a wuss._

_A boat sounds its whistle in the near distance. The small rocky bluffs at the north edge of town are a boat landing now, and that's where the boat is coming to take me away. I let go of my father, and smile at him. _

"_There's your ride." He says. "Are you ready?"_

"_More than I've ever been for anything." It's kind of a corny line, but I really mean it. I got out what I needed too, and now its behind me. I'm ready to start a new chapter of my life._

_He grins at me, grabbing me in a swift, strong hug. He kisses me on the forehead, and lets go of me. "Go get 'em, kiddo."_

_I bring out my Poke balls, return my Pokemon, and slip them into my hoodie pocket. I look him in the eyes, half-distracted by the morning sunlight glaring off his glasses. _

"_Tell mom I'm really sorry." He nods, the smile fading from his lips. I turn towards the road towards the pier, where I can see the ship. "Love you, Dad."_

"_Love you too."_

_I start walking. As I leave our property, I hear the door of our house slam open, and my mothers voice screaming._

"_TESS! OH GOD, TESS, DON'T GO!" _

_I can't look back. I know that if I do, I won't be able to leave her like this. I have to go. I can hear her screaming, calling for me to come back, and my father's voice telling her to stop. I break into a jog, then a run, getting away as fast as I can._

_It takes all the strength I have to keep myself from looking back. _


	5. Chapter 4: Flight of a Protector

**Chapter 4**

**Flight of a Protector**

**Damian**

I'm ready. Both in my mind and in my baggage. I'm traveling light, carrying only my leather guitar bag, with clothes and supplies stuffed into the side pockets. It may seem strange to carry a guitar on a life-changing expedition, but it's important to me.

She's almost ready too. She's still in her room, packing. I use the word "room" loosely, because it's really not a room at all. It's a curtained-off section of my own bedroom. She doesn't really mind it though. She thinks it's cool.

Our apartment complex lies on the east end of Vistian town, not too far south of Frontier City(formerly the Battle Frontier). The east side of the town is comprised entirely of tall stone apartment buildings with tiny rooms inside. They were constructed to house as many people as possible in small spaces, to accommodate all of the mainland refugees. It's not really a bad place to live, just not very comfortable.

She comes out of her room, pink backpack slung across her back. Her hair is in the usual ponytail, long, sleek, and black like mine. She gives me a smile, and her bright green eyes sparkle with excitement. Her name is Ariana, and she's my little sister. The only part of my past that isn't being left behind today.

"I'm all packed up." she says. I smile at her, and stand up from the couch in our tiny living room. I sling my guitar bag onto my back.

"Then let's go, kiddo."

I lock the door behind us. The locks in the building are still shiny and new-looking, and click shut easily. This place was built in a hurry, to hold the masses who wanted safety. Many had to be turned away. We were lucky to get what we did, especially without any parents to vouch for us. I was 16, Ariana was only 8. A family who had lost their child in the evacuation took pity on us, and took us in.

When I turned 18, Ariana and I found our own apartment. We were grateful to the people who took us in, but I wanted us to be able to live by ourselves. The place we found was an abandoned apartment in a district called Black Oak. When we moved there, it was a nice enough place. The apartments were small, but liveable. We made do. But problems arose before long.

Not long after its settlement, Vistian Town began seeing a lot of violence in its more slum like, low-budget areas. Alliances were formed, and a few gangs were formed; some of looters, some of wanted criminals, and some of those who could find no other way to support themselves. For a long time it wasn't anything to worry about. Sure, you frequently heard stories on the news about where the fighting was happening day-to-day, but it was all miles away.

At least, that's what I thought. But then more and more of our neighbors abandoned their homes, moving to other, safer places on the island. They did so out of fear, as news came of gang violence spreading closer and closer to Black Oak. We stayed, mainly because we wouldn't be able to afford housing anywhere else besides the slums. I figured that, if gangs spread here, it would be better to already be here than to have to come to them for help at their lowest levels, down in the slum districts.

Despite the news, we were safe for a while. The local police began cracking down harder on any illegal activity outside of the slums. But even that didn't last forever.

One night around six months ago, I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of gunshots downstairs. I had no idea what to do. I didn't let fear take me over, but I came pretty close. Ariana was terrified. We just sat in my bed, and I held her close. There were no more gunshots at this point, but we could hear the hoots and laughter of a large number of people; window smashes and car alarms in the street; it sounded like a pack of dog pokemon had been set loose on our building.

Then there were footsteps. Our apartment was near the stairs, so you could usually hear anyone coming up the stairway, through the thin walls. Then there was a knock on the door. We didn't move. Two more knocks, strong and insistent. Ariana huddled close, shaking. "It's okay." I whispered. I slowly stood up.

"Damian, don't…just please don't." I looked back at her. She was clearly scared, but her eyes looked eerily calm. She didn't want me to go, but who knew what would happen if I didn't. I heard a voice calling something loudly outside the apartment, but I couldn't make out what it was. He sounded angry.

I exhaled slowly. "I'll be right back. I promise. The cops are bound to be on their way." I gave her a quick hug, and left the room.

Outside the front door was a tall, lanky guy in his mid-twenties. He had tribal tattoos all up and down his arms, on full display through a baggy, sleeveless shirt, and his hair was spiked up and dyed green at the tips. A Houndoor stood at his side, growling with teeth bared. It probably would've clawed my door down if I hadn't opened it. Behind the pair, I saw several other similarly trashy-looking people with Pokemon outside several of the other apartments.

"Hey there." The guy growled. "How many livin' in here?" My eves moved downward for a moment, and I noticed a pistol in his hand. He wasn't aiming it at me, but it seemed presumable that he would be glad to if necessary.

"Just two," I say, deciding it wouldn't help anything if I lied. "Me and my little sister. Who are you?"

"Good." He says, ignoring my question. "Get her out here. Mind if I make myself at home? Of course you don't." He pushed me aside with his gun hand, walking into the apartment. "What a dump." He scoffed, sitting down on the faded yellow couch of our small living room. I stood for a moment, staring at him as his Houndoor trotted after him.

"Well?" He grunted, as if he had just noticed him. "Go get the chick and bring her out here!"

"D-Damian?"

I tensed, and turned around. She was standing just barely in sight, her head peeking around the corner of the hall. _Dammit, _I remember thinking. _If she had stayed hidden, maybe we could've had a chance to escape. _I don't really know what we would have done, it was just a fleeting hope. I certainly couldn't balme her for trying to see what was going on.

"Ah, there she is now." He said, sneering. "C'mere." He said, waving her over with his gun hand.

"It's fine, Ari." I said, giving the most genuine smile I could muster. She looked from me to the man, and her eyes widened when she noticed the gun. She walked slowly over to me, and I put an arm around her shoulder. He aimed the gun casually at both of us.

"Okay," I said, returning my attention to the man. "here she is. Now what do want? What's going on here?" My voice came out calmly, but more demanding than I had intended, and I hoped he didn't take that the wrong way. Luckily, he didn't seem to, as he nodded calmly.

"Okay," He said. "here's what's going down. I'm part of an…organization…known as Cerebrus. My employer, as it were, is in desperate need of a base of operations where he can find himself to be fairly well-protected. This building," he waved his gun around the room, to indicate the whole apartment complex, before resting it back in our direction. "…is his chosen location."

"The whole place?" I speak cautiously. "Then what's going to happen to us?"

The man cackled loudly. "Oh…oh, that's rich…we're not going to kill you, if that's what you mean. Thing is, my boss needs insurance on the place. That insurance…" he grinned widely. "…is you guys. Not you, specifically, but everyone unfortunate enough to live in this shithole building."

I tensed, and my hand tightened around Ariana's shoulder. "What does that mean?" I asked, keeping my voice as calm as I could.

The man chuckled. "Basically, you will be permitted to stay here, under the condition that you pay rent directly to my boss. You'll find it to not be very much more of a bother than whatever you were paying before, but now you're paying for the privilege of being kept alive. If we catch you trying to escape, we will kill you. If you successfully escape, we'll start killing one person in this building every day until you are returned to us. And we are already making it clear to the police that, should a rescue attempt be made on the place…" he leaned forward, aiming his gun right at my head. I froze.

"Everyone here dies." He flicked the gun, mimicking a shot being fired, and sat back on the couch.

"Now tell me," he said. "Do you understand everything I've just said?"

"Yes." I say curtly. Ariana can only nod, too afraid to speak.

"Good," he says, standing. "I guess that concludes this meeting. Someone will be up here to give you the details of your payment in the morning, I guess. Have a nice night. C'mon, Rufus." He walked towards the door, his Houndoor trotting after him.

When he left, I loosened my grip on Ariana, looking down at her. She had started to cry quietly. I hugged her, holding her close, staring at the door through which the man had just left. Everything that we had just been told stormed through my mind like a hurricane. My stomach churned with the fear that I wouldn't let show. Not to Ariana.

The next months were interesting. Through word of mouth, I learned that the one who had started all of this, the head of "Cerebrus", was a man named Malakai. Malakai had been second-in-command in another gang somewhere in the slums, but had been kicked out and was still being hunted by the leader of that gang after trying to start an uprising and make himself leader. He had had many supporters in the group who followed him out of there. These were the people who were now imprisoning us all in our own homes.

Some people did try to escape, leaving with the pretense of going out for shopping and then running to the police. What nobody expected, however, was that the police took any such people and handed them right back to Malakai. Reportedly, they had a task force working on a way to rescue us without any unnecessary deaths, and keeping everyone alive was top priority until that point.

Fast forward to about a month ago. After a long time of discussing it with Ariana and making my own mind about it, I made an important decision. Using a proxy server on my computer, I contacted the local government, and offered myself as a mole, in exchange for the complete protection of myself and my sister during the eventual rescue. The representative I talked to was very eager to take me on. There had been two past moles who had failed and been killed. The problem with them was that they were too obvious. Malakai and his men knew that I had a sister to protect, and so we believed that I wouldn't be suspected.

From there, things began to happen very quickly. I was instructed on what to do, what information to collect, and how to stay discreet. It didn't take long for me to discover a very useful tidbit of information from a passing gangster. Apparently Malakai, who kept his appearance anonymous even to us, went out to a club in town called _The Lucky Spinda every Saturday night. I told this to my correspondent, and a few days later I was given the plan of action._

_Malakai would be identified through force, threatening people at the club at gunpoint. This wasn't something that would normally occur, but they had no other way of identifying Malakai. He would be arrested, or killed if necessary. Word would be sent to the gangsters in the apartments, with video proof. It was assumed that, at this point, the order would be given out by the second-in-command - Lucas, who was the man who visited our apartment on that first night - to start killing the residents. However, by this point we'd already be getting rescued._

_My job was simple. Spread the word as widely as possible for everyone in the building to get to the roof as quickly as possible at 7:00 on the chosen Saturday. The plan was for the police to have helicopters stationed on the roof about a minute before, for quick evacuation. Also, the gang made their home in the basement of the complex, so we'd be relatively safer up there. _

_On the given day, Malakai's capture went somewhat messily. He shot three cops, and managed to kill one of them, before the police took him down. When word spread, Lucas gave the order, as expected. Ariana and I made it to the roof, safely, along with most of the rest of the tenants of the upper floors. The lower floors were not nearly so lucky. Reportedly, over 50 civilians were gunned down or mutilated to death by Pokemon. Ariana and I were very lucky. _

_After the military moved in, things ended fairly quickly. The gangsters were outnumbered, and fled. Very few made it out however, and those who did had their faces in wanted posters by the next day. Lucas was reported missing, and presumed dead. After the building had been declared safe once more, some of us moved back in. Most people, however, did not. We only stayed because we had nowhere else to go._

_Fast-forward another two weeks, and here we are. I signed myself and Ariana up for the mainland expedition quickly, because I thought it would be best for both of us. We had both begun jumping at our own shadows wherever we went, and I would sometimes wake in the night to the sound of her crying in her sleep. I had started having some pretty extreme nightmares myself. I decided we both needed a fresh start, and Ariana was very enthused at the prospect. Neither of us had any Pokemon, but we were promised poke balls and a brief training in battle once we reached the mainland._

_Now, we walk down the last flight of stairs. The place feels very empty now. The walls are still lined with bullet holes and burn marks from the attack, which makes the place feel all more unlivable. It's not going to be hard to say goodbye to the place._

_The walk down to the docks is draped in a solemn silence. I would've liked to be able to say something profound about our leaving, but I find myself not wanting to speak anything about it. Ariana stays quiet too, so I guess she feels the same way. _

_The docks are crowded. Many people are eagar to leave, especially after everything that has happened. Ariana's eyes widen when she sees the crowd, and she grins. I realize it's the first time I've seen her smile this genuinely in weeks. It makes me smile too. _

"_Excited?"_

"_Yeah. I don't know why, but seeing all these people just…" She clenches her fists tightly. "I'm ready. I have a good feeling about this."_

_I smile down at her. We make our way to check in at the desk near the boat, and are given our tickets. As we find a place to stand among the waiting trainers, I notice a man, about 20 feet away, watching me. I ignore him at first, but I meet his gaze after a minute when he doesn't stop._

_It takes me a moment to recognize him, but once I do I have to force myself from letting my face contort in horror. I put my arm protectively around Ariana's shoulder, just like I had on the night when this man and I first met. She doesn't notice, too preoccupied with admiring the boat._

_His hair is different; no longer dyed or spiked, but let hang loose with bangs that stop just above his eyes. He's dressed nicer, in a polo shirt and black pants. But it's the same face. The same tribal tattoos on his arms. And the same Houndoor paces just in front of his feet._

_Lucas meets my gaze coldly, from behind a pair of small, rectangular glasses. He's completely transformed himself, but I recognize him. He gives me a sneering, ferocious grin, before turning away. He walks casually towards the boat, the Houndoor trotting obediently at his heels. _

"_Damian!"_

_I snap out of it to look down at Ariana. "Yeah?"_

"_What were you looking at? You spaced out for a second."_

"_Oh…nothing." I say, faking a laugh. "I guess I just got lost in thought for a minute."_

"_Really, Damian," she says with a chuckle. "You're so silly sometimes."_


	6. Chapter 5: Aboard the Susanowa

**Chapter 5**

Aboard the Susanowa

**Toby**

It's cold. I don't really realize how cold it is until I make my way down to the dock, but it's actually quite freezing. The crowd here is relatively small; most of the people in Sootopolis are older families who have no real desire to leave their homeland. I count about 20 other trainers standing around, chatting and getting blown about by the cold winds. More people trickle down to the dock before long, and when boarding begins there are around 50 of us.

The boat is large, and completely white save for a wide blue streak running across the side. The name "Susanowa" shines in gold lettering from near the helm of the ship. I don't know what it means, but it's an interesting-sounding name.

Boarding begins. As we all rustle our way through the long line of people, I notice that the boat already holds many passengers. Trainers from nearby islands, I realize. A small smile escapes my lips, betraying my excitement to embark. All the resole I've packed into my heart has only made it beat faster, and it's reassuring to see how many other people are here; others with a similar cause.

Aboard the ship, things feel a little cramped and a lot chaotic. Trainers are everywhere, chatting and even engaging in some small-scale battles aboard the ship. Deckhands run about, making final preparations to launch the ship back out into the sea.

I can't help but notice one particular trainer, who appears to be looking for someone. Two characteristics clue me in on this: The first is his face. His eyes pass over people very quickly, scanning the large amounts of people on the boat, but passing over each face with the intensity I recall seeing this same look from various bouncers in the gambing halls and casinos where I've spent much of my life. The second thing I notice is the way he moves. It's a kind of prowling movement, very fluid and concentrated. This too, I notice because of what I've seen of how bouncers operate. Some bouncers take the more traditional route of lumbering forward and punching the shit out of people, but the ones who do better tend to make themselves appear less obviously threatening until they approach their target.

The trainer's a guy, fairly tall. He looks around my age, possibly a little older. He's dark-skinned, with black hair so long that, at first, I mistake him for a girl. After a moment I notice the girl following him, holding his hand tightly so as not to get separated in the crowd. She has the same dark skin, and the same black hair. Probably a sibling. She looks around 12 or 13, and wears a face that looks more confused than anything else. She doesn't seem to be searching like he is, more just following his lead.

_Who are they looking for? _I wonder, watching them move towards the back end of the ship, _and why?_

**Damian**

"Are you sure you're okay?" She looks concerned.

"I…yeah." I know all I'm doing is worrying her even more, but it's all I can think to say. My mind is reeling.

_Should I warn somebody? No, I don't have any proof that it's him. If he managed to get on board, he must have a fake I.D., or something. So what can I do? I bite my lip in frustration. I don't want to make Ariana panic, but I should probably tell her._

"_Ari…"_

"_What?"_

"_Back at the pier…I saw someone who's on the boat right now. Someone we both needs to watch out for."_

_She's quiet for a minute, as her face moves from confusion to deep thought, and then to a controlled fear. _

"_Not someone from Cerberus…?" She says, quietly. I nod._

"_Not just anyone. Lucas."_

_She looks out the window of the cabin, where we're sitting at one of many dining tables arranged around a cafeteria counter. The ship just started moving about a minute ago, and the waves are beginning to lap faster about the edge of the ship._

"_What should we do?" I'm surprised by the lack of fear, in both her face and her voice. She's remarkably controlled and calm. I guess living in oppressive fear for months forces a person to grow up and mature very quickly._

"_Well…" I say, not really sure myself what course of action we can take. He recognized me, obviously. But how much does he know? The police never released my identity as the mole, but he may have figured it out on his own. Or maybe he just wanted to scare us, and really has no malicious intent? I tent my fingers and rest my chin on them. _

"_We don't know what it is he wants," I say. "For now, all we can do is keep an eye on him. As long as we watch him, he can't take us by surprise. I doubt he would try anything here on the boat, anyway. We do need to find him first, though."_

_She nods. "But if we make too much of a commotion, he could notice us before we find him."_

_This is a good point. "He already knows we're here," I reply, "and that we're aware of him, so I don't think that matters. But you're right, it can't hurt to take caution. What we'll do is wait until we dock in Sootopolis. There will be a lot of commotion going on then anyway, with more trainers boarding and all, so we won't be as conspicuous. We'll search as quickly and efficiently as we can, and once we find him, we'll watch him from far enough away that, with any luck, we won't even know we're there." _

"_What's even the point of watching him, though?" She asks._

"_Well," I explain, "Since he's made it here, he's obviously hidden his identity somehow, so we can't report him as being someone that, as far as the authorities know, he's not. Knowing what he was part of, he's almost surely going to try and start some kind of trouble once we reach the mainland, but he might not wait, For all we know, he's planning to hijack the boat or something. If we catch him in the act of doing something illegal, we can get him arrested."_

_On the surface, it sounds like an overly precautious course of action to take. Childish, even. But the truth is, if he knows we're here, then we're potential targets. If there's anyone on board he would want to stab in the back, it would be the people who escaped in the flurry that sent his life shattering into pieces. And so, I decide, I will not let him take us by surprise. If we can find him first, than we at least have the ability to track his activity while we're on the boat. Once we reach the mainland, it's another story entirely…_

_The ride to Sootopolis is endless. All we do for a while is sit. Most of the other passengers are walking about, and some are even battling out on the deck. At one point Ariana goes to the counter to get something to eat, but I'm not hungry. This whole affair's spoiled my appetite. We wanted to come here to leave the place that no longer felt like home, only to find that part of what destroyed it managed to follow us here._

"_I want to walk around for a while." I'm glad for her interruption of the stony, silently panicked silence that has been pressing down on us for some time now. I nod in agreement, and we stand up to leave the cabin._

_We walk by a lot of people as we wander along the deck. Ariana is fascinated by the view of the sea, and wants to just stand and watch for a while. From where we stand on the ship, you can still see Vistian Town far off in the distance behind the ship, and to the north is a first glimpse of Sootopolis. I've never been, but it's an impressive-looking place. The town was built inside of a dormant volcano after it was flooded thousands of years ago, and the idea that there's a town inside there, when looking on from outside, gives it the appearance of a fort, intended to keep people out above all else. _

_I look at Ariana, who's leaning on the rail, and she's smiling. I'm glad to see it, it cheers me up as well. I step forwards, putting an arm over her shoulders. _

"_I think we'll be fine, kiddo." I say, grinning at her. She just smiles, and keeps looking out at the sea. _

_About an hour later, we finally reach Sootopolis. We stand near where the new passengers will be coming from, once boarding begins. _

"_Okay, Ari," I say. "When we start looking, stay close to me and follow my lead. Got that?"_

"_Yeah." She says quietly, looking out at the town around us. It's pretty all right, but I don't really take time to take it in._

_They start letting people on. I let a few walk past us, and then take Ariana by the hand. "Let's go." And so we start moving through the crowd, searching quickly. Scanning each face for something familiar._

_There's something I haven't told Ariana. I'm probably just paranoid, but if Lucas wanted to hunt us down and do something to us - throw us off the boat, kidnap us, even kill us - this would be the time to do it. Even though as far as Ariana knows, we're the ones hunting him, it's just as likely that we're being hunted as well. We have to move fast._


	7. Chapter 6: Aboard the Ryujin

**Chapter 6**

Aboard the Ryujin

**Tess**

The first thing that I notice about the ship is its name. _Ryujin _is inscribed in gold on the hull, with a long, blue dragon stenciled along the entire side of the ship. I recognize the name; Ryujin was a mythical god of the sea in an archaic mythology from a long time ago; I forget where it originated.

I'm one of the last people to board the ship; I'm keeping an eye out for anyone I know, anything to distract me from the misery of the scene I just left at home. I see a couple faces from school that I recognize, who I exchange nods with, but nobody I actually know. I already said my goodbyes to most of my friends, but I know I at least have one friend coming. Finding her is all I need to save me from the nervous pit in my stomach; someone to relate to. Her name is Kara, and she's one of my best friends.

I start walking around the deck. In total, I'd guess there are at least 300 people here; Pacifidlog got a lot bigger after the evacuation. Almost everyone here, like me, want to escape the crowded prison that was Pacifidlog. There's something eerie about a town so close to the water from all sides, with nothing but vacant ocean visible. The prospect of leaving was an attractive one.

Still no sign of Kara. I had figured she'd be looking for me as well, so I'm a little concerned that we haven't seen each other. I find an area with some chairs lined against the cabin wall, and sit down, pulling out my phone. We're still docked, so I should be getting reception. I find Kara in my address book, and give her a call.

"The person you're trying to reach cannot come to the phone right now. Please leave your name and number at the tone."

The answering machine. This worries me more. Kara was always a very social person, and as far as I knew she kept her phone on at all times. So what was up with this? I leave her a quick message, asking her to let me know where she is.

As I hang up, a voice comes over the loudspeakers, which I hadn't noticed until just now. One of them is right above my head, and scares the living hell out of me when I hear it.

"This is your captain speaking. Final preparations for launch are almost finished, but there will be a small delay of about 20 minutes. We apologize for the delay, and thank everyone on board for their patience."

I am a bit comforted by this. She's probably late, and just getting on board now. I stand up, and begin to shuffle through the crowd, making my gradual way back to the front end of the ship. Contrary to what I had hoped, nobody is boarding. Whatever the delay is, it's not buying Kara any extra time, which hopefully means she is already on board, after all, and just being elusive.

As I continue roaming about the deck and cabins, my concern slowly grows. She must be looking for me as well. Why wouldn't she have her phone on? The minutes drag on, but I'm startled when the ship's whistle blows, as if knocked out of a daze. It's time to ship out.

As the deafeningly loud sound of the whistle comes to an end, I hear a softer, closer sound, coming from my pocket. The musical ring of my phone.

I snap it open, recognizing the number on the screen as Kara's.

"Hey!"

"…Hey."

Her voice is quiet, and seems a little sad. Something is wrong.

"Kara, where are you?"

"…"

"Kara?"

"…Tess…"

"Where have you been hiding?" My voice comes out as a little indignant. "I've been roaming around like a crazy person for a half hour, trying to find you."

"Tess, I'm sorry…"

"…what? Kara, what's going on?" I can feel a pit starting to form in my stomach. I've been refusing to believe what is now starting to seem obvious.

"Tess, I'm not on board. I'm not coming."

"…What? What are you talking about?" The pit is now a void, sucking everything out from the inside.

"Tess, my mom and dad had a talk with me last night…"

"Are they making you stay? They can't do that, Kara! My mom tried to do the same thing, but you already applied and were approved, so legally they can't sto-"

"Tess." Her voice is stronger now, more solid.

"…what?"

"They never accepted me, Tess. My uncle works in the trainer administration office, and my dad asked him to deny me. He's afraid for me, Tess."

I stare out at the town from the deck. The boat has started moving, and the dock is already a little ways off. The reception will cut out soon.

"Kara, we…we were going to travel together…"

"I know, Tess. I'm going to see if I can convince my uncle to put my application back in. But I can see where my family is coming from. They've seen some really bad things, and they don't want to see me go."

The void in my stomach has consumed me. I can't speak. I don't know what to say. I just stare blankly out at my ever-shrinking home.

"Tess?"

"…"

"Tess?"

"…"

"Tess, there's nothing I can do…"

"I KNOW THAT!" Suddenly, a switch turns off in my mind. Maybe it's me feeling overwhelmed by what Kara's just told me, or maybe it's stress from the scene at my house this morning, or possibly a combination of the two, but I've suddenly inverted from not knowing what to say to wanting to say everything at once.

"Tess, calm down."

"SCREW YOU!" I'm shouting, and several people are staring. I can feel the tears coming. I don't care. "SCREW YOU, AND SCREW YOUR DAMN FAMILY! WE WERE GOING TO BE…" My voice weakens.

"…"

"We were going to be a team, Kara…"

"Tess, I-"

I snap my phone closed. For a second I clench it tightly in my hand. Then, without really thinking, I hurl it into the sea. It makes a tiny _kerplunk! _In the water. The people who were staring turn away now, back to whatever they were doing before.

My mind begins to clear of the rage that had briefly flooded it, leaving only a vacant, empty, shocked sadness. I move slowly to the rail at the edge of the deck, putting my hands on it to support my weight. I lean against it, and watch as a few tears fall into the waters below. It doesn't really register that they're mine.

The only thing that had given me the courage to stand up to my mother this morning had been anticipation of what was to come. I knew that whatever happened at the house, soon I would be with Kara, who would understand and sympathize. She was always able to relate to me so well. But now the truth sinks in. The cold, unpleasant, frightening truth. I'm headed off to a strange land, with danger on all sides, and only my Pokemon there to protect me. And now I'm facing it alone.

**Keith**

**The angry aura about my companion fades after a while, as the boat approaches. I can see a large number of people milling about on board. The way Jacob has presented himself so far, I'm not sure if he'll want to run away from all of these people or just stare at them. I hope he chooses the latter, as it would be easier to control.**

**To my surprise, he doesn't do either of these things. As everyone files on board, he keeps his eyes fixed on what's in front of him, following my pace with a vacant expression. **

"**I want to watch when we leave."**

**It's odd how quickly I get used to him not speaking; his words startle me.**

"**I want to watch from out here." He repeats. "When we set off." He looks at me, and his eyes are expectant; he hopes I'm okay with that. I smile reassuringly at him.**

"**Sure. It'll help to watch as we leave; give us a little more closure." I don't need all that much closure, but Jacob seems like he might have more fondness for his home than he admits. "Now, c'mon. Let's see where they're hiding breakfast."**

**We sit down in the cabin's cafeteria. I have a muffin and coffee, and he just has a banana, saying he's not very hungry. I ask if it's nerves. He just shrugs. **

**We eat in silence for a couple minutes, and then I notice something in his eyes; they've become fixated on something just behind me. I turn to take a look.**

**At the booth behind us sits a girl, probably around 16. She sits leaning against the wall, her eyes staring sadly out the window. She's a very pretty girl, despite the moist lines on her cheeks from recent tears. I turn back, smirking at my young companion. **

"**Aww, do you have a crush already?" I prod teasingly. His face goes slightly red, and he averts his eyes. **

"**She looks sad is all…" he mumbles. "…I felt bad for her." This is interesting. Up until this point, I haven't heard much emotion in his voice, but he sounds genuinely sympathetic. I exhale.**

**I am about to speak when the horn sounds; we're about to start moving. On a whim, I lean forward in my seat.**

"**Listen, bud. How about you go out and watch us set off like you wanted, and I'll talk to this pretty young lady behind us, see if I can't cheer her up for you. Okay?" I say, with a sly grin. He blinks in response, and stands up, walking quickly and quietly outside. **

**By myself now, I lean with my back against the window, stretching my legs out along the seat. I look to my right, where the girl Jacob was staring at is still sitting, still staring, still sad. As far as I can gauge there's no real purpose to what I'm about to do, but it might gain me a little respect from Jacob, and I'm happy to do it on his behalf.**

"**Hey." I say, in the girl's general direction. She lifts her head up from where it rests on the window, and looks at me.**

"**You talking to me?"**

"**Yeah," I say with a grin. "Is that okay?"**

"**Sure." She says, with a shrug. I can see the trace of a smirk tug at the edge of her lip. This encourages me.**

"**My friend and I couldn't help noticing-"**

"**Your friend?"**

"**He just left, he's on deck."**

"**Hm."**

"**Anyway, we couldn't help but notice how sad you look, for someone embarking on a big, exciting adventure." I raise an eyebrow in what I hope comes off as partially inquisiatory, partially silly. I don't want to come off as too prying.**

**She exhales, and slumps in her seat. "It's, um…it's a long story."**

"**I hear you, say no more." I say with a nod. After a moment, I shift into a kneeling position, knees on my seat, leaning towards her. "I'm Keith, by the way." I say, smiling and outstretching a hand to shake. After a moment, she shakes it, giving a small smile that looks only partially forced, as if she wants to smile but can't muster up the happiness to go all the way there.**

"**I'm Tess. Nice to meet you."**


	8. Chapter 7: Hunters

**Chapter 7**

Hunters

**Damian**

So many people. Too many. But we have to keep moving, keep ourselves mixed with the rest of the crowd. Things on deck become a little more confined as more people trickle on board, but I don't pay much heed. I just walk, silently, Ariana keeping hold of my hand and letting me be her guide.

Time passes quickly. Far too quickly for my liking. We have to find him soon. It's not a huge ship, but there are enough people on board now that Lucas can keep himself hidden easily, if he wants. It's a double-edged sword.

"Damian." Ariana's voice stops me in my tracks. She sounds terrified. I turn to look at her.

"What's wrong?"

"I think someone's following us. Not Lucas, someone else."

My head snaps from her face to the crowd behind her. Many people are milling about, just like everywhere else on the ship, but there is one person standing very still.

"Ari, describe him for me." I say, not averting my gaze.

"Um, he's not very tall, but he looks maybe 18...he's got blond hair and a blue jacket…do you see him?"

"Yeah. He's waving us over to him."

**Toby**

Following the man and girl was something I decided to do idly. I admit I let my curiosity get the better of me, but I had nothing better to do. Besides, if he was looking for someone in particular, maybe I could help him out, make an ally.

As more people board the boat, the crowd pushes us towards the ship's back end, where my idle quarry and I were headed anyway. What catches the corner of my eye is a particular man among the crowd. He doesn't appear too out-of-the-ordinary at first; his hair is brown with shaggy bangs, he's wearing a collared shirt and glasses, and he has some tattoos on his arms. What calls my attention is the way he's acting.

He bustles through the crowd in a prowling manner, keeping a slow but purposeful pace. Whenever someone bumps into him, he takes that as a queue to move swiftly past them, accelerating his pace for a moment. He has a demeanor similar to that of my own target, including the hunting eyes. Except his eyes aren't scanning the crowd. They're dead focused on one person a ways ahead of him in the crowd; the same guy I'm following.

I start to consider what this could mean; the first, and admittedly most appealing, possibility is that these two are simply friends looking for each other. This, however, is quickly discounted. This closer man is moving too decidedly slowly. He's taking his time, so as to stay unnoticed. In addition, I notice the Pokemon walking at his side; A Houndoor. It walks with fangs bared and claws unsheathed, and moves with a slow, stalking pace, keeping low to the ground; a hunter's pace.

So that, my mind decides, leaves two possibilities. One: This man is waiting for the couple he follows to find him. Two: he's waiting for them to be alone, or nearly alone. I have a talent for reading people, a useful skill I've always been gifted with. I can see the malice in his face; it's visceral, practically dripping off like sweat. As I see it, he's a predator, and the two people we're both following are his prey. In which case, I decide, I may as well try to protect them.

I make the quick decision that it can't hurt anything if this guy sees me approach the two who walk ahead of us. He doesn't know who I am, or what intentions I may have.

With this in mind, I break into a slow jog, dodging through people. AS I get gradually closer to the two people, the girl turns. I don't think she had noticed me until then, but her eyes fix on me when she notices. I slow to a fast walk. The girl and her brother keep moving as well, but she keeps her eyes fixated on me. I look right back, slowing to a stop. Hoping she'll stop as well.

She turns her head away, and at first I think all is lost. But then, she and her brother stop, and after a moment of conversing, the brother looks in my direction. I nod at him, and beckon him over with one hand. He says something else to his companion, and then slowly approaches.

**Damian**

I approach our apparent follower warily. He could be working with Lucas.

"Hey there," he says, giving a friendly wave.

"Are you with Jacob?" I ask defensively. No point in skirting around it.

He raises an eyebrow. "Jacob? Don't know him…unless…" He furrows his brow for a moment, then nods. "Yeah, that makes sense…is Jacob about my height, brown hair, tattoos, and a Houndoor?"

That catches me off-guard. He knows what Jacob looks like, but acts as if he doesn't know him. Might as well prod a little.

"Yeah…do you know him?"

"Actually," he says, shuffling his feet and looking over his shoulder. "That's why I'm talking to you. No, I don't know this Jacob, but I've been watching him. He's following you."

I reflexively look around me. "Stay calm." he says. "Come with me into the cabin, and I'll explain. You can trust me."

"How the hell do I know that?" I ask coldly, my mind frosting over with fear for myself and Ariana. Who _is _this guy?

He sighs, glancing behind him again. "Alright, look." he says, speaking fast. "the way this guy's following you, I think he's waiting for you to be alone. I've seen people like him before, and he's definitely following you, but waiting for the right circumstances."

I look into his eyes. I really have no idea what to do. I don't know this guy, who seems to understand more about Lucas than I do. I'm clueless.

"Okay, listen." He says, running a hand through his hair. "We need to get you two somewhere safe NOW, so I'll give you what little more I can to make you trust me. My name is Tobias Rye. I'm 19 years old. I was raised by my father, and we traveled a lot all my life. I've seen a lot of kinds of people, and I know how to read them. Right now, I just see two people in danger, and I'd like to try and help them. So please, just let me help."

I feel a hand shatter through the ice in my mind. Ariana's hand. I look to my left, and she's standing there, looking at me. There's no fear in her eyes, quite the opposite. There's a lot of courage there, more than I've ever seen from her. I think she passes a little to me, because I feel a little better too. I turn back to our new acquaintance.

"…okay, Tobias Rye. We'll trust you."

**Well, readers, it's taken us a couple weeks, but now Shattered Gemstoens is up to speed. From here on out, each new chapter will be posted here a week after they are posted on , the main website on which this series is featured. Can't wait to read the next chapter? It's already up right now, on !**

**Shattered Gemstoens is © Jay Petrequin and , 2012**


	9. Chapter 8: Trust Issues

**Chapter 8**

**Trust Issues**

**Tess**

So I guess I've made a friend. His name is Keith. He's tall, Asian, and pretty cute, I guess. We make small talk for a while, him kneeling on the booth of the table in front of me. Obviously he's just some random stranger, but it's nice to just chat with someone. It takes my mind off things.

"So have you been a trainer long?"

"Kind of," I explain. "I have two Pokemon, and I've had them for a while, but they were more companions than anything else for a long time…"

"I see," he says, nodding. "I was like that at first, but I've been training my guys for a while now."

"What about your friend?" I hadn't noticed anyone with him when he sat down, but I wasn't really paying attention.

"Well…he-"

His words are interrupted by what sounds like an explosion on deck. The whole ship shakes for a moment. I put my hand on the window to steady myself. Keith stands, looking out the window.

"God damn it," he mutters, stepping out of the booth. "We're not even at the mainland and this kid's already causing me trouble." He walks in a quick pace towards the door. On impulse, I stand as well, following him outside.

**Keith**

The scene is bad. Not as bad as it had looked from the cabin, but still bad. There's smoke and dust everywhere, and there's a commotion around the subject of my attention.

He looks more surprised than anything. He's not shaking or crying. He's just standing there. His eyebrows are raised, his hands are closed in loose fists. Some dust is settling in his hair and on his shoulders, but he doesn't seem to notice. He's captivated by what he's watching. I hear my new friend Tess walk up behind me, and turn to look at her. Her eyes are fixed on the same thing.

In front of Jacob shines what can only be described as a strange sort of light show. His Aron stands in the center of a miniature crater in the floorboards on the ship, about five feet wide. The Pokemon stands in some sort of battle stance, its small body heaving with each breath. The aspect that is drawing everyone's attention is the Aron's eyes.

To say that the Aron's eyes are glowing doesn't accurately describe the situation. It's more as if something is leaking from it's eyes, like the little Pokemon is so full of power that its dripping with the stuff. Neon yellow-green energy dances outward from it's abnormally large eyes, flickering like fire. As I watch it breathing heavily, I notice some faint clouds of what appears to be the same stuff wafting from its mouth. The light coming from the Aron casts a sickly yellow light on the onlookers, who continue to crowd forward to try and see what's going on.

At the edge of the crater, opposite the side where Jacob stands, lays an unmoving bundle of gray fur, stained dark red in spots with blood. A poocheyena, I realize. It's owner stands behind it, a girl around Jacob's age. She's shaking, her mouth covered by her hands. "What…" She says, muffled by her hands. "What did you do? You crazy bastard!" She runs forward to her Pokemon, scooping it up in her arms. "Maizy! Maizy, come on…" She starts crying, but the Pokemon begins to stir in her arms.

I step towards Jacob. He doesn't notice me until I'm close to him, and when he does his head snaps towards me suddenly.

"I don't know…" he says, struggling to find his words. "I don't know what happened…I just-"

His words are interrupted as he turns back toward the girl, who's walking quickly toward us. The Poocheyena is gone, but she holds a poke ball in her left hand that I assume must be holding it. Her other hand is clenched into a fist, which tightens as she stops in front of us, glaring at Jacob.

"You piece of SHIT!" She screams, sending her fist flying straight into Jacob's gut. He recoils, coughing and stepping back. She winds up for another shot, but I step between her and my companion.

"Hey now, hold on a second." Her fist stops, and she lowers her arm. I'm relieved, having half-expected her to punch me, as well. "Listen, whatever just happened here was clearly an accident. He had no idea that…THAT could happen. Your Pokemon's alive right? So just let it go."

She shifts back a little, resting her weight on one leg. Her eyes are still angry. "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? It's not your goddamn problem." With a huff, she turns, walking quickly away, most likely to find First Aid for her Pokemon. With an exhale, I turn back to Jacob. He's standing upright again, his face devoid of any emotion. He stares fixated at the floor. I'm about to ask him what happened, when Tess' voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Um…Keith? His Pokemon…"

I turn to look back toward the crater. Tess is kneeling down in the center of it, tentatively poking Jacob's Aron. The glowing aura is gone, and the Pokemon is laying on its side, sound asleep.

**Tess**

What have I gotten myself into? I repeatedly ask myself this as I watch Keith's friend, a quiet kid around my age named Jacob, returns his Aron to a poke ball, and as Keith walks forward.

"Jacob…can you tell me what happened here?"

"I didn't know…" The kid speaks very quietly. Something in his voice is both a little creepy and a little scared. It's clear he has no idea what happened to his Aron. "Can we…can we go back inside?"

"Sure." Keith glances over at me. "this is Tess, by the way."

Jacob notices me for the first time, and I'm amused to notice his face redden a little. "…hi." he mutters, and I give him a small smile. He just turns away. He says something I can't make out, and Keith shrugs and nods. "I'll be back in a bit," he tells me, and the two of them walk back to the cabin. I guess I'm not welcome. I'm not sure why I would be.

I turn back to the battlefield that my new acquaintance and his Pokemon have created. Two crew members have arrived on the scene and are surveying the damage, but most of the onlookers have lost interest and moved on. I wonder if Jacob will face any repercussions from this. I hope not.

When I followed Keith outside, the first thing I noticed about Jacob had been his face. His expression was stony, emotionless…all except his eyes. His eyes showed a surprised sense of uncomprehending fear, as if he not only didn't know what had happened, but he had momentarily forgotten where he was, what he was doing. It was only there for a moment, but it was just enough. Maybe he doesn't know a lot about Pokemon. Maybe he's a new trainer. Maybe he only just received his Aron. Whatever the reasons, Things are getting interesting quickly. And I have to admit, it's a nice distraction from Kara. At least I've made a friend…but with the catch of his strange companion.

I walk over to the rail, leaning forward and resting my arms on the cool metal. I watch as the open sea passes by. I remove my hat, letting the cool ocean breeze blow my hair every which way. I probably look like a mess, but it feels nice. I reach into my pocket, producing Charybdis and Rosa's poke balls. I release the two of them onto the deck. Charybdis, due to his shape, flops awkwardly onto his side, while Rosa waddles around on her stubby legs, gazing curiously at the ship. I kneel down, picking Charybdis up.

"okay guys, you want to go for a swim?" Charybdis wriggles around in my hands, and Rosa makes a little excited hop towards the rail, stumbling over the edge. Charybdis wriggles his way out of my hands, springing up and over the rail to join his friend. I watch as they race each other, keeping steady pace with the ship.

Thinking about my situation isn't the most friendly prospect at the moment, but it's one I have to accept and deal with. Kara's gone, but I've already met someone who seems friendly. I don't really know if I can trust him, of course, but he's someone recognizable, and that's a good start. I don't really want to try going it alone on the mainland, and even two people I don't know is better company than nobody at all.

Suddenly, he's beside me. I guess I didn't notice him approaching, but now he sits up against the rail, facing me with his back to the sea.

"Oh, hi." I stammer, a little startled by his apparent stealth.

"Hi." He looks uncomfortable - emotionally, not physically - but like he really wants to tell me something.

"So," I say, looking back at my Pokemon. "What was that back there?"

He sighs, shifting his weight to propel him off the rail. He stands there, shuffling his feet.

"It's a little on the complicated side."

"I have time." I say with a shrug. He smirks.

"Well…I can't really say I know him all that well. We only met just recently. We're kind of just traveling together because neither of us want to travel alone. He seems to be really alienated from people, and so I suppose I took pity on him. That said, there are some…trust issues. The more I see of him, the less I understand, and him…well, I don't think he's ever trusted anyone, by the way he acts."

This strikes me. He knows just as little about Jacob as I do. By the same token, he barely knows me, just as I barely know him. The three of us are basically complete strangers. But one thing still nags at me.

"So does that mean you don't know what happened with his Pokemon?"

"He won't tell me. I mean, I think he will eventually, but right now he's refusing to say a word. He's sitting in the cabin." He gazes back towards the cabin. "I know this sounds a little odd, but maybe having a second person with me would help me get some answers out of him."

"Why me? Wouldn't having another stranger there just make him want to talk less?"

"Well…" he says with a shrug. "The whole reason he and I met was because he noticed me, and I made some kind of impression on him. I hope this doesn't come across as creepy, but I think you've already made an impression too. After all, he was the one who noticed you in the cabin earlier. Having more people he recognizes seems to make him a little more comfortable."

So I've made an impression on this kid? Me, Tessa Baker, 16 year-old novice trainer from Pacifidlog town, made an impression on a withdrawn, antisocial kid from Dewford? If it's true, I can't help but feel a little bit flattered.

The situation's a strange one. A boring, normal girl meets two strangers, a boy and a man. The boy notices the girl because she looks just so sad and lonely, and he pities her. His friend approaches her for him, and she is charmed. The more the man opens up, the more mysterious the boy becomes. And all the while, none of these three people really know each other. They're just three strangers, each of whom needs one of the others for some reason. Boy needs man because he doesn't want to be alone anymore; man needs girl to talk to boy; and girl…I suppose girl needs both of them for the same reason boy does. For the simple sake of companionship.

"Okay. Let's go talk to him."

**Enjoying Shattered Gemstones? Don't forget, each chapter is posted a week earlier on ! Be sure to check the site out for more Shattered Gemstones and great other stuff too! Check in at next week, or here in 2 weeks, for more Shattered Gemstones!**

Shattered Gemstones is © Jay Petrequin and , 2012


	10. Chapter 9: The Appeal

**Chapter 9**

**The Appeal**

**Toby**

His name is Damian. Hers is Ariana. Both somewhat unusual names these days, making me vaguely curious if their parents were the pretentious type, who would name their children odd things just to look cool. But that's not where my attention needs to be right now.

We sit in a booth with a good view of the door, just in case Lucas decides to make a surprise move. I'm drinking deeply from a chai tea purchased at the counter. It tastes horrible, but its warmth is soothing. The scent helps me focus.

Damian does most of the talking. He describes Vistian town, a place I had never visited myself. I had heard reports about the Cerberus fiasco, and remembered the name Malakai from a few news stories, but I hadn't known how bad things were there. Hearing it from the mouth of someone who was there made it sound so much more real. And, ironically, less sane.

As Damian describes Lucas, Malakai, and Cerberus, I begin to paint a picture in my head of Lucas' motivation. He could have come seeking revenge, having somehow found out that the liberation of his former headquarters was Damian's doing. Conversely, it could also be that he had just been trying to make a new start for himself here, and didn't want Damian to rat him out. Unfortunately, the more Damian says, the less likely this second option becomes.

The whole time Damian is speaking, Ariana watches me carefully. She sits with her arms crossed, body leaned against the window. She doesn't really look antagonistic towards me, more like she's trying to get a read on me. Deciding for herself whether to trust me. Smart girl.

"It sounds like this guy at least wants to scare you," I say when Damian is finished. "But it seems likely that his motivations are a little worse than that. Since you're both safe for now, this would be a good time to plan from here on out."

"Hold on." Damian crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat. "I'm sorry, but before we go any further, I need to know for sure if we can trust you. You put up a very convincing performance outside, but now that we have time, I think we deserve to know a little more about you."

I sigh, nodding. I probably should have told them more from the get-go. I reach into my back pocket, taking out my wallet. I extract my trainer card, handing it to Damian.

As he looks the card over, I begin to speak. I start with my parents; my mysteriously absent mother and my wise father who taught me everything. I tell a little about some of the places we visited, just a few that stand out in my mind. I skim over my father's death, only saying that he isn't around anymore.

"What about your Pokemon?" Damian asks, tapping the single poke ball sticker on the back of the card. So I tell about Checkers, how I saved his life and had kept him ever since. I notice a small smile on Ariana's face as I describe Checkers, and how happy he was once he was healed.

"So there you go," I finish. "that's pretty much my life story. Are we cool?" I outstretch a hand to shake. Instead of shaking my hand, Damian places my trainer card in it.

"Yeah, Toby…I guess we are. I still don't really get why you wanted to help us, but your story seems legitimate, and your I.D. doesn't look fake to me."

I shrug as I put my card back in my wallet. "I guess I just wanted to help you two out of interest. I take an interest in people, and sometimes I even start trying to get a read on people without even realizing it. Just be glad I noticed Lucas."

Damian nods slightly, locking his eyes with mine. "I am grateful. That said, it's still not impossible that you're working with Lucas. You're right, in that we're safe as long as we're on the boat, but if you intend to travel with us on the mainland you might have to prove yourself a little more. I know it sounds extreme, but Ariana and I have to be cautious."

It makes sense, I suppose. But I hope that whatever proof he wants me to show is something I'm actually capable of doing.

"Well," I say, after a moment of silence. "For now, you should try to think of me as an ally. If Lucas tries to attack you or anything, any number of people here could become involved. If word spread that something took place, there might be some serious misunderstandings. I'm just someone who doesn't want that to happen. For the good of everyone here."

"That makes sense." Damian and I both look over at Ariana, who's speaking for the first time. "You're just trying to help everyone here by preventing something bad, right?"

"Exactly." I say, with a smile. At least one of them seems to be starting to trust me. I almost feel like I should be on Lucas' side, someone working to gain the trust of these two. I'm glad they're believing the truth, despite the suspicious circumstances.

"So," I say, clapping my hands together. "Let's talk strategy. Are you both new trainers? What kind of Pokemon do you have?"

Damian looks away, almost self-consciously. "We don't have Pokemon yet. We're part of the new trainer program, they'll be giving us our first Pokemon when we arrive."

This isn't welcome news. If these two are busy learning how to train Pokemon while under the predatory eye of Lucas, it would leave ample opportunities for him to strike. If they want to stay safe, they may need some help training. Someone to watch their backs while they get their footing. I'm about to say so, but Damian beats me to it.

"I know, we'll need to be careful, but we didn't have a choice. We had to leave, and didn't have time to learn how to train or anything. This seemed like the best way to do things."

"Right," I reply. "That makes sense, and I'm glad you can see the danger."

"We're kind of accustomed to it." He says, a little stand-offishly. Flusters me a little.

"Of course, sorry. Anyway, I know I said I'm not very experienced, but I still know enough to help you out. Show you both the ropes, help you get going."

"So you do want to travel with us?" Damian says. He doesn't sounds wary, but he still looks a little hesitant. I lean back in my seat.

"I know we still don't know each other all that well, but you don't know anyone better here. I don't particularly want to travel alone, and I think you've already realized that it would be wise to have someone else watching your back. Let me come with you, and it will benefit all three of us."

As I speak, hearing the sincerity in my own words, I begin to realize something. I realize that, for all of my ambition and desire to start anew, I've been harboring a deep-seated fear about what's to come. Fear of isolation, of winding up in some horrible situation with nobody but little Checkers, who still can't even fight very well, to help me. Along with all that, there's also a fear that, in a way, is linked to my want to be my own man; that, instead of making any kind of friends, I would make only enemies here, and would only wind up worse off than before. I just want an ally, and I guess I convinced myself that I should help Damian and Ariana because, in the back of my mind, I thought that I could make them trust me.

Damian looks out the window for a moment, and then at Ariana, who doesn't speak but looks like she's ready to trust me. After a minute or two of stony silence, he nods and locks eyes with me.

"Okay, we'll travel with you. Until you give us a reason not to, anyway. It's nothing personal, but I'm just finding it a little difficult to give anyone my trust right now. But you've made your case, and you seem okay. So," he says, outstretching a hand. "Welcome to the group."

I shake his hand, unable to hide a grin from my face. Ariana notices it, and chuckles.

I'm about to thank him, but my thoughts are interrupted by a loudspeaker.

"This is your captain speaking. We are now approaching Lilycove harbor. All trainers, please assemble on deck and await further instruction."

"Well," I say, standing up. "Sounds like it's go time. Let's see what's awaiting us out there."

**Hey you! You reading this! Did you know you can read each chapter a week earlier by heading over to ? You should TOTALLY go for it! :D**

Shattered Gemstones © Jay Petrequin, Steve Black Jr, and , 2012


	11. Chapter 10: Ashore

**Whoa guys, sorry this is a few days late. Enjoy! Remember, you can read each chapter a week earlier on ! Shattered Gemstones is © Jay Pertrequin, Steve Black Jr, and .**

**Chapter 10**

**Ashore**

**Tess**

We've docked. Here we are. We've made our way to Slateport.

At least, that's what the loudspeaker says. But Keith and I are too preoccupied to really notice at the moment. Jacob is gone.

When we entered the dining cabin, the table Keith had left him at was empty. No sign of anyone having been there. We asked around, and nobody had noticed him acting strangely. He just got up and walked out.

"Where would he go?" I asked. "Do you think he just doesn't want to talk?"

"I honestly don't know," he said with a sigh. "If he's worried about what we want to know about what happened, he could be hiding somewhere."

"Should we look for him, or just let him be?" I really wish we had more to go on as far as where this kid went, and why.

"I guess so, yeah…"

And so the rest of the ride went. Now, here we are, on the mainland, but we can't even feel excited.

"Should we keep searching for Jacob now, or should we go ahead and leave the ship?" How badly does Keith want to keep this kid with us? I'd feel bad abandoning him, but if he ran from us than maybe he changed his mind.

Keith is silent for a minute, deep in thought. When he looks at me, he looks a little relieved, which surprises me.

"Let's go ahead and get off the ship with everyone else. Jacob may be a strange guy, but he's smart. He knows what he's doing. If he wants to be found, he will be. So for now, let's just enjoy what's ahead, okay?" He flashes me a grin, and extends a hand.

This is true. I'm letting these new friends distract me from the main event at hand: we have arrived in Hoenn. The real Hoenn. And not just Hoenn, but Slateport. The town where I spent the first 11 years of my life. The town where Michael died saving us, and so many others. The graveyard of my past.

I shake my head, unable to hide a small grin, and take his hand. Together, we walk towards the crowd of people exiting the ship.

**Keith**

Our first look at Slateport is rough. I had never been here before the disaster, but you can tell things were very different back then. The towns cobblestone streets are in rubble, with enormous cracks and fissures lining the roads like stripes on a Growlithe's back. Looking south, there are whole blocks of houses submerged in water, from the permanently risen tide. You can even make out the tops of beach umbrellas just below the waters surface, serving as markers for the now drowned beach. It's a bit surreal.

They usher us off the boat in single file. Tess walks in front of me, looking very uneasy. As she surveys the surroundings, she releases her hand from its loose grip on mine and covers her mouth with it. Like many of the other trainers around us, she can't help but show on her face how much this is tearing her up inside. We walk in silence.

"…I used to live here." Her voice is quiet, like she can't accept what she's saying. "For my whole life until the disaster, I lived here…but I can barely recognize it."

"I'm sorry…" I wish I knew more of what to say…maybe it's best that I can't comfort her. I don't have any idea what she's going through right now, but I can see how it could be something she needs to deal with by herself. She turns to me, and looks more confused than sad, as if she's struggling to comprehend what she is seeing.

We make our way to where a series of tables have been set up, where people are checking in. Tess gives her name and shows her card, and then so do I. People mill about, but nobody really goes anywhere. None of us know what to do. We all feel a little lost. Tess and I just wander around by the boat. A few of the buildings around us have caved in, but many are still intact. There are darkened patches along the ground and even the sides of the building, where fires had been blazing long before.

After a short time, the boat is entirely unloaded of passengers. The same people who ushered us off the boat now come to organize us into a group, and I notice their uniforms. They all wear navy blue jackets buttoned up to mid-chest, with black shirts underneath. More interesting is the insignia that each of them wears. It is comprised of a white circle, with three lines extending outwards in different directions: A yellow line extending upwards, a red one downwards and to the left, and a blue one downwards and to the right. The style of the symbol looks vaguely familiar. It takes me a moment to place, but then I realize it looks very similar to a symbol of Hoenn's early written language. I don't know any, but we all had to learn a bit about the subject in school.

We are all arranged into a large group. Once we are in order, a woman steps up onto a pedestal placed in front of us. She wears the same uniform as the other workers, but her jacket is a bright red instead of blue. Her face, framed by long violet hair arranged in a loose ponytail, looks very familiar, but I can't quite place it until she introduces herself. A cold eastern wind begins blowing as she begins to speak, but her voice is loud enough to overcome it with ease.

"Trainers! As I am, you are all here today for a grand reason, one that you should be honored to have. My name is Winona, and until five years ago I was the Gym Leader of the Fortree City gym. I stand before you now as an equal. I, like yourselves, want to return this land to what it once was: our home." I realize who this woman is. I had no idea one of the surviving gym leaders on board, let alone Winona. I recall stories I've heard, about how she refused to leave Fortree until she saw each living citizen safely out.

"Our facilitators - the government of New Hoenn -" she continues, "have created an organization around which this mission has been built. You see my uniform, and that of the workers - we are overseers of sorts, here to help everyone in any way possible. The symbol we wear on our uniform comes from a combination of three similar symbols from the written language of ancient Hoenn. Combined, the symbol means 'Persistent Force of Hope'. The name of the organization backing this mission, PFH, is named after the same mantra. A persistent force of hope. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what everyone here is. We are the hope for the future of Hoenn. We are pioneers, here to take back what was once ours. We are ready to face any challenge that stands in our way!"

She pauses for a moment. Her face has gotten a little red, and it's easy to tell that she got into her speech. Some people applaud, but she holds out a hand to quiet them.

"Now then. Take a small time to explore our surroundings. We stand in the ruins of Slateport, a well-known town of Hoenn. Some of you may even have heritage here." I glance over to Tess. Her face is stony, concentrating on Winona's words.

"It is important to know one's surroundings. You are all licensed trainers, and are allowed to explore anywhere within the city at your own risk, until sunset. At that time, everyone will be asked to return here for further debriefing. Also, nobody will be permitted outside of the city. Keep this in mind."

She steps back a little bit. "If anyone needs assistance, come see myself or any other PFH officer. Until tonight, my friends," she raises her arms. "It's time to begin rebuilding our land!"

**Tess**

"It's time to begin rebuilding our land!" These words resonate within me. Seeing Slateport - MY Slateport - maimed like this was hard to bear at first, but something in Winona's words stirs courage in me. I'm ready. It's going to be hard at first, but it' time to face the fear I've been harboring. First I thought it was towards my mother, or leaving home. But it wasn't fear of what I was leaving behind, not at all; it was fear of what I was heading towards.

As the crowd disperses, I remain standing where I am.

"So where do you want to go?" Keith asks me. I raise an eyebrow.

"Don't you still need to find Jacob?"

"Like I said, he'll be fine. AS for you, you said you used to live here. So where do you want to go?"

I exhale. I really don't know. There's always my old house and neighborhood, or my school, but none of those places sound interesting at the moment. What does strike my fancy is something else. I've been nothing but stressed ever since leaving this morning, and I need to blow off some steam.

"Let's battle." I reach into my pocket, extracting a Poke ball. I'm not even sure which one.

"Here?"

"Or anywhere. I want to battle you. I don't know why," I admit truthfully, "but it just feels like the thing to do right now. So let's find a good place, and have a battle. You said you were a skilled trainer," I add with a smirk, "so prove it!"

Keith looks at me for a moment, and then grins.

"With pleasure, ma'am."


	12. Chapter 11: Lilycove

**Chapter 11**

**Lilycove**

**Damian**

When I first see the mainland, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. I had only been to Lilycove twice, for vacations, before the disaster, and don't have any lasting memories of the place. Nothing to connect me to it. So all I can do, as we stand waiting to leave the ship, is take in what I see.

The streets are ravaged. Chunks of concrete stick up from the ground, and large cracks spider web their way down the streets. In the time since the cataclysms ended, grass has begun to grow in between the cracks. I guess it's poetic, but I don't really think about that at the moment. Something else has my attention.

Our position on the deck gives us a good view of the southern end of the city. Across all of what can be seen from here, packs of wild Pokemon stalk about.

The closest area to where we stand is a small, rocky bluff, atop which stands a dilapidated old lighthouse. Around this small monument of former civilization, a pack of Pokemon prowl about. They are small, foxlike creatures, with orange fur and multiple tails. Vulpix, I realize, recalling the appearance. One of our neighbors in Vistian town had one as a pet.

The Vulpix are surrounding the lighthouse from all sides. It's impossible to see why from here, but it appears that the furry Pokemon are guarding something hidden behind the far end of the lighthouse, nestled in-between its wall and the sharp edge of the cliff.

Occupying the bulk of the south end of the town is another pack of Pokemon, these much more fierce in appearance. Poocheyenna and Mighteyenna. Their numbers are far greater than those of the Vulpix, although many Vulpix lie strewn across the Poocheyenna territory, bloody and lifeless. There's been a battle here.

As we are ushered into a line to begin exiting the ship, Ariana hooks her arm around mine. I look at her, but her attention is aimed where mine has just been.

"they haven't noticed us yet." She comments. It's true. As we are moved slowly down the gangway, I realize that we are not very far from the edge of what appears to be the Poocheyenna territory. I wonder how long that will last. I notice that the workers ushering us ashore, as well as those already on the ground, are also eyeing the Pokemon. They don't seem very concerned, however, and soon turn their attentions back to the task at hand.

The process of checking in is a long one, and we are closer to the back end of the ship. As we slowly move forward, I can't help but notice the Pokemon on land becoming agitated. A crowd blocks my view of the workers and the trainers who have already come ashore, so I can't see whether anyone is taking notice of the pack of Pokemon, who seem to be starting to notice the growing crowd. I hear the sound of Pokemon cries as some trainers engage in friendly battle, and wonder if this will agitate the wild Pokemon further.

"Hey." Toby, standing to my right, leans closer to me.

"Isn't that Lucas ahead of us?" I look where he points, and sure enough, about a dozen people ahead of us is Lucas. He doesn't seem to have noticed us, but is instead keeping his gaze closely trained on the dog Pokemon in the city.

"Well he's not bothering anyone at the moment," I say, "so let's just keep an eye on him for now."

Another 20 minuets or so pass, and we make it to the top of the gangway. At its base is a check-in desk with several workers and a lot of papers. Off to one side is a small, hastily-erected tent, where a slow stream of trainers emerge holding poke balls. This, I realize, is probably where Ariana and I will be sent.

To the north is a crowd of trainers, all of us who have already checked in. As I look over the crowd, I notice Lucas approaching it, having just checked in. He starts a conversation with someone, looking harmless enough. Does he really mean any harm here, I begin to wonder? Or is he just biding his time?

Soon enough, we stand at the registration desk. I give the bored-looking lady mine and Ariana's names, and we are directed to head to the tent.

Before we can start walking, however, I'm distracted by a sudden outburst of yelling. I look towards the crowd of trainers, the cause of the commotion, and see them all yelling at one trainer, who is walking quickly and confidently towards the pack of dogs. Lucas.

He's yelling at the animals, making cat-calls and clapping his hands. Trying to get their attention. The dogs start growling, and try to circle him, but he just laughs. He takes something out of his pocket, and throws it at one of the Mighteyenna - the biggest, meanest-looking one - and makes a sprint back towards us. And so the commotion begins.

The injured Pokemon, which I realize must be the leader of the pack, gives a howl, and all of the surrounding Mighteyenna and Poocheyenna take note and bark in response. Then, as one, the dogs begin to race forward, like a black, fanged tidal wave, towards us.

Immediately, workers from the boat take out poke balls and begin fighting off the animals. Many trainers jump into the fray as well, but others panic, running and screaming. A particularly large Poocheyenna leaps our way, breaking the check-in table with ease. I grab Ariana's hand and make a run northwest, where the dilapidated contest hall sits. My only priority is to keep Ariana and myself safe, and we can hide there. I can hear Toby's footsteps as he follows. We're making it a fair distance when I see him.

Lucas stands in front of the contest hall, his Poocheyenna now at his side. A wide grin stretches across his face as he makes eye contact with me.

"Nothing like a nice commotion, am I right?" He calls to me. As soon as the words leave his lips, he makes a break for the woods.

What happens next is a split second decision, one I know I will regret later. But it's reflexive. He's right here, and I can confront him. I have to confront him. I turn to Toby.

"Protect her."

He looks taken aback, but nods. I look at Ariana.

"Stay with him."

"Damian…" she tries to protest, but I am already dashing into the woods, adrenaline coursing through my veins, hot on Lucas' trail. Determined to stop him.

**Toby**

Well, I guess he trusts me now.

"Okay, Ariana." I say, thinking quickly. "Let's let him do what he has to do. We can find him after this all blows over, but for now we wouldn't be any safer by going after him. He wants to make sure you're safe, so let's find somewhere safe."

"Well, I'm not sure how easy that's going to be…" She's not looking at me, but behind me, back towards the boat. I turn to see what she's looking at, and get a nice little shock.

We're surrounded by three Poocheyenna, fangs bared. Two more emerge from the contest hall, an indicator that the place wouldn't have been a good sanctuary after all. In the distance I can see more of the dogs swarming the ship, but it seems they're not letting any stone go unturned. I reach into my pocket, tossing Checkers' poke ball.

"Is that all you have?" Ariana sounds a little bit scared.

"Oh, come on now," I say, feeling a bit offended. "the size of the Pokemon doesn't convey its power. Checkers has had his share of battle experience. Checkers," I call, turning away from Ariana. "Make a wide sweep with thunder wave!"

Checkers hops up on one fin-like foot, and discharges a wave of electricity. As he sends the attack, he revolves on his fin, making a wide enough sweep to hit three of the pokemon, before he trips on his own foot and topples over.

"That's fine, Checkers. Get yourself back up!" Checkers hops himself up, correcting his balance. Three of the Poocheyenna are paralyzed, leaving two more to deal with. One leaps forward at Checkers for a bite attack. Checkers sees the attack coming, drops down, and rolls to the right of the Poocheyenna's landing point.

"Now come around for a take down!" Checkers springs up and rams his entire, bullet-like body into the Poocheyenna. The black dog stumbles, and falls.

"he's good." Ariana comments from behind me. I grin at her.

"Like I told you, the appearance doesn't mean much of anything. Now," I say, returning my attention to my Pokemon, "take the last one down with a water gun!"

The last Poocheyenna looks scared, and is moving slowly backwards when Checkers turns his attention to it. It yelps, and starts to run, when it gets rammed from behind by a strong blast of water from Checkers' mouth. It stumbles, and falls.

'Good job, Checkers." I cheer him, picking him up. Best to keep him out and ready, I decide. "Okay…" Now that the Poocheyenna are out of the picture, my attention turns back to where we can go for safety. The trainers by the ship have the upper hand on the dogs, but the battle is still fierce. As I watch, part of the dock is engulfed in flames by and unseen Pokemon's attack.

"The lighthouse." Ariana's words snap me back to reality. I look towards the dilapidated old lighthouse, and see what Ariana sees. The Poocheyenna that were there are gone. Some Vulpix are still visible, but are lying lifeless. The battle there must have ended while Lucas was causing this new chaos. The area looks completely devoid of any attention by the vicious dogs.

"You're right." I agree. I grab her hand, and off we run. It's a clear path, as all of the visible Pokemon are already down by the ship. We don't seem to catch any attention as we make our way there.

Up on the narrow land-bridge that leads to the rocky bluff, we get a gruesome look at the violence that had come to pass here. Ariana seems oddly unfazed by this, but pulls the collar of her shirt up to her mouth so as to try and filter out the smell of burnt flesh and fur. As I look upon the bodies, I get this pit in my stomach, and start to wonder if this is some sort of omen. What if this death and carnage is all we have to look forward to here? What if there's no hope of rebuilding this place, and we're just exploring a vast graveyard? What if-

My thoughts are interrupted by a small sound from behind the lighthouse. Once, then again. The cry of a Pokemon.

We make our way around behind the lighthouse, and find the source. The pit in my stomach deepens when I realize that this must be what the Vulpix had been protecting. Laying on the blood-soaked grass, with fur just as reddened, is a Ninetales. Large, white, beautiful, and dead. Around it lie three tiny, orange bodies. Its pups. A fourth pup, still alive and seemingly unharmed, sits by the Ninetales' head, crying for the loss of its mother.

"This is what they were after…" Ariana looks a little disturbed by what she sees, but then the expression on her face changes to pity. She looks to me. "What should we do?"

"What do you mean?"

"We can't just leave her here…"

"I'm sure they'll give all of the dead a burial-"

"No, not the mother. The baby." She walks slowly closer to the pup, who doesn't seem to notice her. I think about stopping her, but decide against it. I'm impressed by Ariana's compassion for the little pup, and I want to see how this plays out.

She kneels down close to the pup, but doesn't try to get its attention. She just waits. A couple minutes pass before the little Vulpix takes its attention off its mother. It looks up and sees Ariana's face, and Ariana gives it a smile.

"Hello, little one." This change in Ariana's tone is surprising. She sounds calm, soothing, motherly even. She outstretches a hand, inviting the animal to come closer. At first, the Vulpix looks wary, having never seen a human before and being unsure what this strange thing beckoning it forward is. Ariana and the Vulpix's eyes meet. The Vulpix cocks its head, starting to wonder if Ariana might not be a threat, and Ariana giggles.

"Come here. Don't be afraid." She beckons the pup forward with her outstretched hand. It stands up, arching its back in a stretch, and moves slowly, tentatively, forward. Its single orange tail wags slowly from side to side. The Pokemon slinks up to Ariana's hand, gives it a sniff, and recoils. It looks back up at Ariana's face, still smiling warmly, and moves forward again for another sniff, and then gives Ariana's hand a lick. She grins.

"There, see? I won't bite." She pets it lightly on the head. It looks afraid of the approaching hand for a moment, but then moves forward, letting Ariana pet it.

Watching her and the Pokemon, I start to see what's happening here. It reminds me of how I first met Checkers, who is now struggling to break free of my arms to say hello to the Vulpix. The Vulpix is identifying Ariana as someone safe, maybe even thinking it to be because of her that its life was spared. It recognizes her as a sort of guardian. I decide there's no reason not to encourage this.

"Here." I reach into my messenger bag, extracting a great ball and holding it down to Ariana. I had stocked up with extras before leaving, so I'm okay with letting her have one. She looks at the ball, then at me.

"Really? I can catch her?"

"That's up to you. Take it." She nods, and takes the ball.

"Thank you." She cradles the ball in her hand, and looks back to the Vulpix, which is now watching her curiously. She looks down at the ball, considering for a moment, and then sets it down on the grass in front of her.

The Vulpix eyes the ball with a great deal of curiosity. It trots around the object, giving it a sniff, and pokes it with its paw. It yelps with joy when the ball rocks backwards in the grass, and continues the action until the ball rotates so that the button on its front is facing the Pokemon. Upon noticing this new feature, the Vulpix cocks its head, and gives the button a gentle prod with its nose. The ball opens, and the Vulpix is bathed in red light, and drawn inside. The ball snaps shut, rocks back and forth in the grass three times, and goes still. Ariana picks up the ball, and stands up.

"Congratulations," I say with a grin. "You just caught your first Pokemon."

**Remember, you can see each chapter a week early over at PokemonPodcast. com! And from now until the end of Part 1, Shattered Gemstones is going weekly! So you can go over to PokemonPodcast. com and see the next chapter RIGHT NOW! 'AINT IT COOL?**

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	13. Chapter 12: Battle at the Shipyard

**Chapter 12**

**Battle in the Shipyard**

**Tess**

We walk for a while. Keith is keeping an eye out for anywhere well-suited for a battle, and I seem to be as well. But my attention is still trapped by the insane amount of pressure that comes from taking in my surroundings. It seems like every new building or street I see brings back a new memory, all of them painful.

"See anywhere you want to fight?"

Keith's voice pierces through my miserable cloud of memories.

"Yeah, sorry. I just can't focus."

"You're the one who wanted to battle. Let's make it somewhere you want to see again."

I nod. There's the old Battle Tent in town, but who knows if that's still standing. I never really liked that place, anyway. It was always cramped and stuffy in there. We're walking along one of the main streets, going south, towards the shipyard and the beach.

_The shipyard…_

My father is a boat builder by trade. Before the evacuation, he had been one of the overseers down at the shipyard. Sometimes Michael and I would come and visit him after school, with our mother when we were young but by ourselves when we got older. A lot of the people there recognized us, and knew us as the boss' cute kids…

"How about the shipyard?" I speak the words before I realize they're in my head. It just seems logical for some reason. Keith nods.

"Sounds good." He gives me a look that suggests curiosity about why I chose the place I did, but he doesn't press any further.

The building itself is intact. A few windows are broken, but otherwise it looks fine from outside. Keith suggests we have the battle outside, though, and I don't object. The yard itself is littered with splintered chunks of wood and metal, the obliterated pieces of boats that had still been works in progress. It's a little sad to see them this way, but I force myself to fix my attention on what's happening. Keith has found a clearing that we can use as a battlefield.

The clearing is about 20 feet wide, roughly circular, with one of the few lengths of cobblestone pavement that still seems intact. Keith stays at the end nearer to the road we followed to get here, allowing me to walk to the end nearer to the sea. I walk to the far edge, and turn. I feel a soft wind blow at my back, and it comforts me. It gives me courage, too. At least some things in Slateport haven't changed. I take off my cap and undo my ponytail, letting my dirty blonde hair get blown by the breeze. It still smells like it should. Salty and fresh and sunny and invigorating and beautiful. It still smells like home.

"So," Keith speaks from across the clearing. "You said you're still pretty new to battling, right?"

"Yeah, but like I said, I want you to prove how good you are. Don't hold back." I'm surprised how courageous I feel. The only battles I've had have been mock skirmishes with Kara and her Pokemon, a Wingull named Scout. I don't know how strong Keith is, but it's sure to be tough. But I'm ready.

"Honestly," he says with a laugh, "I don't think I can afford to hold back. Your Poekmon are from Pacifidlog, right? The waters are rough there, so they have to be naturally strong to survive.

I had never really thought about this, but I suppose it's true. Rosa was a birthday present and Dad caught me Charybdis, and all I had to compare them to was whatever I could find swimming around in the water, except for battles with Kara. Even in those fights, my Pokemon did seem to show a lot of strength from the get-go. I grin, letting myself get a little cocky. The wind changes, and hair blows into my mouth. I spit it out, and Keith laughs. I do too.

"Okay, so you have two Pokemon, right? So we'll do a two-on-two battle."

I hesitate. "That's not the same as a double battle, right?" He grins.

"No, no. Single battle, two Pokemon each." I nod okay, trying to hide my embarrassment for not knowing this. I reach into my pocket, extracting my two poke balls. I look at them, considering. I look up for a moment, and see him holding an ultra ball in his hand, watching me. He's already chosen.

I know how more strategic battlers categorize Pokemon. Technically speaking, I have one wall and one sweeper. Good to know my duo is balanced. I decide that, since I know nothing about my opponents team, it might be best to lean to the side of caution. I make my choice, slipping the other poke ball back into my pocket. I give him a nod.

"Let's go."

**Keith**

We throw our balls, and our Pokemon appear in a wave of red light. On my side is Sable, a Mawile with fangs just as sharp on her face as on the second mouth dangling off her head. Her Pokemon is a Corsola, which I remember watching swim alongside the boat earlier this morning. I appreciate that she has some strategy, knowing to start on the defensive until she gains an understanding of my team. Very smart for a rookie.

"Okay, Sable, let's go straight for the offensive. Lunge in for a bite!" Sable nods, dashes forward, jumps, and swings her body around, letting the jaws on her head open wide for the attack.

"Harden!"

Tess gives her order just in time, and her Corsola, already seeing the oncoming attack, recoils, bracing its hard shell for the attack. Sable's jaws clamp tightly around the Pokemon, squeezing tight before releasing and stepping back.

"Are you okay, Rosa?" The Corsola looks back towards her trainer, and gives a chirp as if to say yes. Tess smiles. "Good girl."

"Trust your Pokemon." I advise. "If you trust each other, you'll be able to tell when she's in pain." Tess nods.

"Right. Okay. Rosa, hit it with a Spike cannon!" Rosa leans forward, gathering energy in its horn. But I know Sable is ready. As Rosa fires white, spike shaped energy bursts, Sable steps back, nodding her head forward to allow the jaw on her head to flop in front of her, acting as a shield. She braces herself and takes each blast without flinching.

"Sable's a steel-type." I tell my opponent. "A normal-type move like Spike cannon, although strong, is at a heavy disadvantage." Tess looks surprised for a moment, but recovers quickly.

"Okay then, hit it with a bubblebeam!" This second command takes me by surprise, but I'm prepared. This is the defining moment.

"Sable, get ready! Give it your guard-and-counter!"

I'll admit, this is one of my favorite moments of any battle with Sable. Sable sprints forward into the face of the attack, allowing Rosa to get a little cocky, thinking that her opponent is a fool. Rosa unleashes her jet burst of bubbles, and Sable is ready. She leaps forward on one foot, and, in one graceful spin, unleashes a curved Protect made of hexagonal window panes of energy, which generate and degenerate with the full forward revolution of her body. When she faces her opponent again, she plants her lifted leg forward, lunging her opposite arm into Rosa for a Brick Break strike, straight to the face. The strike sends Rosa flying, skidding into the dirt just a few inches from Tess' feet. The whole strike only takes about five seconds, but time always seems to slow down during moments like this.

Sable steps back, not taking her eyes off her opponent. She knows not to get cocky from one strike, even if that strike might have finished her opponent in one blow. Tess' face is one of shock. She bends down, putting a hand on her Pokemon.

"Rosa, are you okay?" The Pokemon moves, still conscious. She wobbles her way to her feet, and stands, heaving for breath. There's a large chip on her horn, which I'll probably have apologize for later. She tries to step forward, but keels over onto her side, fainted.

"Rosa!" Tess cries, running forward to pick up her Pokemon.

"She'll be okay." I reassure her. "Pokemon can take an insane amount of damage and recover from it. That's how battling is even possible." Tess nods, still looking concerned. She stands up, and returns Rosa to her ball.

"How did you do that?" She asks, a bit of shock still in her voice. "How did your Pokemon know to do that? It was so fast, so fluid…your Mawile's amazing."

"It just comes from training." I say, with a shrug. "After fighting alongside your Pokemon for a while, a bond starts to develop between you. It's kind of hard to explain, but its like your Pokemon knows how to do what you want it to right as you say it. You and your Pokemon start to think the same in different situations. Sable and I know our strategies back to front, and so we both instantly know what do to in a pinch."

"Wow…" She looks down, as if she's ashamed.

'Don't be hard on yourself," I reassure her. "It takes a lot of time to forge that bond. I've been with my Pokemon for years. Once you've been around the block some more, I know you'll be just as good." I give her a smile. "I can give you some more tips along the way, but for now let's keep fighting, okay?"

"Right." She nods, returning her focus to the battle at hand. She's taking in new information well. She's a fast learner. "Let's go, Charybdis!"

The Horsea comes out of it's ball already looking like a formidable opponent. Sable had an advantage on Rosa with Brick Break, but this guy may be a bit more of a challenge. It watches Sable carefully as it rocks back and forth on its spiraled tail, and I notice the shape of the fins on its head. They curve with the shape of the Horsea's skull, almost touching at the back. I recall hearing froma fisherman I used to train with that this was a sign of Horsea that were thought of as soldiers within the colonies in which they lived. This feature can indicate that a Horsea is more instinctively adept versatile in combat than its peers. I grin, excited to face a new challenge. Tess sees my grin as cockiness, and scowls at me.

"Don't think you'll take down Char too easily. Go, use Twister!"

With great agility, the Horsea begins spinning, whipping up a whirlwind. I see it spit bits of hot blue flame into the wind, which begins to blaze with power. Charybdis stops himself sharply, sending the twister flying into Sable before she can dodge. The strength of the whirlwind lifts her off her feet, battering her around in its gusts before spitting her out. As the twister subsides, Sable stands, battered and bruised but still able to fight.

"Impressive," I admit, "but not quite enough to take us down! Go in for a Vicegrip!" Sable lunges forward, reaching her head jaw out like an arm. Charybdis tries to dodge, but can't hop out of the way. Sable's jaws clamp around the Horsea's small, blue body. It wriggles around in pain, but can't break free of the iron grip. I look to Tess, and can see she's thinking.

"Water gun to the face, Char!" The Horsea stops resisting, instead putting its full attention into spewing a forceful blast of water into Sable's face. Sable, surprised as well as injured, recoils, dropping Charybdis.

"Now, quickly! Another water gun, and make this one count!"

Charybdis, now able to focus on the attack without the pain of the vice grip, sucks in a huge breath of air, arches it's body backwards, and then thrusts it's head forward, unleashing an even bigger stream of water. The impact knocks Sable off her feet, and after the torrent subsides she struggles to stand back up again. Her yellow fur is completely soaked, and the added weight plus the power of the attack are too much for her to bear, and she falls. Tess smiles.

"See? I told you Char was good."

"I never doubted it," I say, returning Sable. "You have a really strong one there. He's probably close to evolving, too. But now it's time to pull out the big gu-"

"Hey! Stop him!"

I turn to see who the shouting is coming from. Two P.F.H agents are running down the main street, in hot pursuit of a grimly familiar boy in a red jacket.

"Oh no," I say with a sigh. "What did you do this time, Jacob?"


	14. Chapter 13: At the Cliffside

**Chapter 13**

**At the Cliffside**

**Damian**

_Stupid. I'm stupid. _I scold myself over and over as I run, in hot pursuit of Lucas. Who knows what's going on back in the town. We're far enough away now that I can no longer hear the sounds of battle from Lilycove. Now it's just Lucas, I, and the trees.

He's far enough ahead of me that I lose sight of him here and there, but he's making enough noise to be easily traceable. In addition, he seems to be going straight in one direction. I would expect him to be more strategic than this, if he's trying to lose me. Is he trying to lead me somewhere?

Suddenly he stops ahead of me.

"Hey." He calls back to me. I slow down., approaching him. His back is still turned, but his head is turned to look at me, watching me carefully with one eye. I stop a few feet from him, and all is silent in the woods. After a few moments, he turns to face me head-on.

"Fancy seeing you here." His voice is snide. Confident.

"Lucas," I growl, not caring to hide my aggression. "What are you doing here?" He smirks.

"Fair enough. Walk with me." He turns back in the direction he had been walking, and doesn't wait before resuming the trek. I tsk, and follow.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere important."

"How so?"

"You'll see."

"…"

"…or maybe you won't. We'll see."

The walk is silent for a while. I'm not sure what he's thinking, acting like this. What's really scary is how calm he sounds. The old Lucas would have been shouting at me by now, possibly attacking me. But now he seems composed, as if nothing worries him. And he knows I want answers, so I won't try to attack him or anything, and he doesn't seem to have any aggression towards me at the moment. We're at a bit of an impasse.

As we walk, all I can think of is Ariana. Toby seems to mean well, but I'm still doubting whether I can trust him with my sister. Sometimes I wonder if my ingrained need to protect her has made me a little paranoid, but in this case I think I'm in the right. Last I saw, the attack was still vicious, and Ariana doesn't have a Pokemon to protect her. Toby at least has a Chinchou, so staying together doubles their odds.

"Don't worry about her."

"What?"

"Your sister, Damian. Don't worry about her. The P.F.H people are well-equipped to deal with such a situation, even if they were caught off-guard by it."

"Why did you do it? Why did you have to cause that huge a commotion?"

"Honestly?" He says with a chuckle, "fun. It's been so long since I've been able to punish anyone at a whim, and I just couldn't stand it. The packs of Pokemon in Lilycove just happened to be a perfect opportunity. Besides…" he chuckles. "I'm protected."

"What do you mean?"

"Unimportant. Besides, we're almost there."

"Almost where, Lucas?"

"Doesn't matter. You'll keep following." Even from behind, I can see the movement of his face as he smirks. "You want answers, and you know I'm your only way of getting them." What angers me about his statement isn't his smugness or refusal to explain where we're going, but that he's right. I have to follow him if I want to know why he's here. And I _have _to know.

We're in a more lightly wooded area now, and some sunlight trickles down upon us as we walk. I can see something big in the distance, but can't make out what it is. A mountain, perhaps?

As we near our mysterious destination, I consider my actions back at Lilycove. I don't feel bad for leaving Ariana anymore - she can handle herself, and Toby seems like a good person. What concerns me is why I chose to leave Ariana in the first place. Normally I would have grabbed her by the hand and dragged her with me, but something made me change my mind. I tell myself again that she's old enough to think for herself, and she seemed to trust Toby enough to stay with him. I just hope Lucas is right, and the attack is under control.

I'm so lost in my obnoxious little cloud of doubt that it takes me a minute to notice that the forest is now behind us. In front of me is a narrow strip of field that stretches onward, eventually curving, on the right, and tapers off to the left. On one side of us is the sea, and on the other lies forest and ruined buildings. The outskirts of Lilycove. But this isn't what has my attention.

I was right about the brown mass in the distance. It's a mountain, not incredibly tall but very wide, looming in front of us. It sits in a ring of choppy waves, washing in from the sea and then receding back just as quickly. What I can see of the mountains northern face is chipped and worn greatly, and is curved inwards. There are spots where large chunks of mountain seem to have been chipped away, long before.

I realize where we are. I remember coming here for a funeral when I was very young, before Ariana had even been born. I don't remember who had died. But I remember the fields of gravestones, the monument to Hoenn's legendary Pokemon at the mountain's head, and the eerie miasma that floated about the place. Mt. Pyre.

But one thing is very different now. The head of the mountain is jagged - not just naturally rocky, but spiked. Spears of earth stick up at odd angles, jutting out in many directions. There's also a huge amount of rubble, as if some of these enormous spikes had been swiped at by an enormous claw. It looks as if there's been a battle here, but I can't imagine what could have caused something like this.

"Wow," Lucas comments, roaming off to the right to get a better view, "it's worse than I thought. Something really went to town up there."

"Is that where we're going?" I ask. "Into the mountain?" I can't see the entrance from here, but I doubt it's fared well.

"Oh, no." Lucas says, with a snide little laugh. "Or at least you're not. This is the end of the line for you."

I tense up, hands clenched into fists. _Stupid. STUPID! _He lured my guard down, knowing I would follow him if he just held some information in front of him like a carrot in front of a Ponyta. And it worked.

I hear footsteps, too small and quick to be human, and whip around. There's Lucas' Houndoor, snarling and ready to tear into me.

"What will killing me accomplish?" I ask, quickly becoming desperate but not wanting to show it.

"What will it accomplish? Excuse me, but who was the one who ratted Malakai out to the cops? Oh, that's right, it was YOU."

"How do you know about that? I was promised confidentiality."

"Promises don't mean a lot these days," Lucas says, pacing about lazily. "I'm sure whoever told you you'd be confidential had their fingers crossed behind their back." He cackles out loud at his own joke.

"So I ratted you out. You can't exactly blame me for wanting freedom."

"That's true, I suppose. But I can still be really mad at you, and covertly abuse my power to get rid of you. I really just want to settle this grudge." He shrugs his backpack off his shoulders, unzipping it and rooting around inside it. His eyes stay locked on me.

"What power? Who are you working for?" He just laughs, but then his face becomes stony, completely serious. A bit more similar to old Lucas.

"Just how stupid do you think I am." He drops the bag on the ground, leaving his hand clutching a silver handgun. He turns toward the forest, pointing it at something I can't see.

"Come out nice and slowly, hands behind your head!" He shouts into the trees. After a pause, two figures make their way slowly and carefully out of the forest, as my stomach sinks into my feet. An expressionless Toby, followed by Ariana, eyes wide with fright.

**Toby**

The Poocheyna and Mighteyna have been pushed back by the time we return to the fight, and most of the dogs have fled. A few still struggle to fight the trainers, but as I watch, two trainers are making an enormous dent in the remaining dogs. The two trainers are young, maybe in their mid-teens. One has a Lunatone, the other a Solrock. I recognize them, but I can't think of where from.

"We have to find Damian." Ariana's words cut through my pondering of the two trainers.

"What?"

"He's in danger. Like we already told you, Lucas is very dangerous. We need to hurry." She wears a face of firm determination. In what I really hope won't turn out to be a bad decision, I decide she's right.

"Okay, you're right. But let's not rush in without thinking. We need a plan of action."

We trek through the forest quickly but carefully, following Damian and Lucas' footprints in the dirt. Ariana notices a set of paw prints a ways off, running roughly parallel to the path Damian and Lucas' path. It seems like some sort of trap has already been set for Damian.

"He seems too smart to fall into that sort of thing." I say, wondering what kind of situation we're about to walk into.

"Oh, he's walked into it." Ariana says, resigned. "He lets his drive to get what he wants blind him, and doesn't realize it."

This girl keeps surprising me with the way she speaks and acts when Damian isn't around. She's far more mature than she lets on.

"Well then," I say with a smile. "It's a good thing we're ready." She nods, but doesn't smile. She just walks faster. I follow, bracing myself for what's to come. It won't be pretty.

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Don't forget, each chapter goes up a week early on PokemonPodcast. Com, so check there for the next chapter RIGHT NOW! 8D And check back in another two weeks for the finale of Shattered Gemstones season 1!**

Shattered Gemstones is © Jay Petrequin, Steve Black Jr., and PokemonPodscast. Com, 2012


	15. Chapter 14: Shedding Light

**Chapter 14**

**Shedding light**

**Tess**

Before I get the chance to ask what we should do, Keith is already in action. He runs out into the path of Jacob and his pursuers, grabbing Jacob by the cuff of his shirt.

"What seems to be the problem here?" He asks completely calmly, turning to the two workers. I stay where I am, but don't return Charybdis. I'm wary, and can't hide it as well as Keith apparently can.

"Do you know this boy?" One of the men asks, giving Keith a wary look. Keith glances at Jacob, who is still breathing hard but looks remarkably calm.

"Yeah," Keith says after a pause. "He's my brother…" The men exchange glances of obvious doubt, glancing from Keith's face, with slick black hair, pale skin and narrow eyes, to Jacobs, with sandy grey hair, darker skin and large, rounder eyes.

"…Adopted brother, of course." Keith adds, with a hasty grin. The men clearly aren't buying it.

"Yeah, okay," one of them says with a sneer. "let's see some ID."

Keith pauses for a second, and exhales. He glances over at me, and our eyes meet for just a second. He makes a small motion with the hand that holds Jacob's shirt, and I see something in it; a poke ball. The one he was about to choose before our battle had been interrupted. I blink, understanding what's going to happen next, and nod. He looks back to the guards, releasing Jacob and reaching for his wallet. I pick up Charybdis with one hand, nestling him into the crook of my arm. I walk forward, trying my best to look calm.

"Problem, Keith?" I ask, trying to be nonchalant. He looks up at me, and I see a brief look of surprise on his face, as if he hadn't expected me to take the initiative. I make a note to myself to feel good about that later, since there's no time to think about it now.

"Not at all, Tess…" Keith says, removing his hand from his pocket. "But I think we should put our battle on hold for NOW!" With the last word, he tosses his poke ball. The workers, caught by surprise, step back. I release Charybdis from my grasp as Keith's Pokemon is released.

It's a Crobat. I've seen plenty of Zubat and Golbat, but I had never seen a Crobat in-person before. I've always heard that it takes a very devoted trainer to evolve a Crobat. It's body is about the same size of the average Golbats, but more sleek and aerodynamic. It's mouth is smaller, but bristles with fearsome fangs. Its talons double as a smaller second set of wings, helping it to stay aloft. But the main feature of the bat is it's pair of wings. As they flap, the gusts of wind are strong enough that I have to put one hand on my head to keep my hat from flying off. Its wings are enormous, muscular things, casting a shadow over us. I glance at the PFH workers and see that they can see the power of this beast just as I can. One of them reaches for a pocket, presumably for a poke ball. But I'm not going to give him time.

"Hit them with a water gun, Char!" Charybdis looks up at me with a brief look of confusion, unsure why he is being pitted against humans instead of Pokemon, but turns his attention to his new targets. He releases a jet of water wide enough to drench both of our opponents, enough to distract them for a minute. Keith turns to me.

"Nice thinking." He says, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm more savvy than you think." I say with a grin. "My brother and I used to get in some situations where we had to think fast, so I've had some experience."

"Good," he says, "then take Jacob and go somewhere safe."

"Where?" I say. We don't have time for this. "Um, you know what, how about the beach?" I'm not sure why the beach comes to mind, but it seems safe.

"Okay. I'll hold them off, you go wherever you need to go. I'll meet you at the beach as soon as we're finished." He gives me a grin, and turns back to Jacob's pursuers. I look at Jacob, who doesn't look worried or scared anymore. He's just watching me. I exhale, pick up Charybdis with one hand, take Jacob's hand in my other, and make a dash south. Behind me, I hear the yells of the PFH men, followed by the sounds of more pokemon being released. If my mind wasn't focused on getting us to the beach, I would probably be worried for Keith's safety right now. But all I can do is trust him.

The main street is fairly barren as we run. Most of the trainers are still hanging around the northern end of town. The few we pass don't give us any trouble, just give us a curious glance as they see us run by. Jacob remains silent as we make our way to the beach, his hand firmly grasping mine. His feels cold and clammy, but he holds on tightly.

I slow down as we reach the south end of the cobblestone road. In front of us is the beach. It's surprising, and for a moment slightly creepy, how little it has changed in five years. It seems much brighter here now, with no umbrellas casting shadows on the dunes. If anything, the place looks more inviting than it ever did before. I smile, taking in my surroundings. The mid-afternoon sun shines down on the sand, creating a warm, inviting glow.

"At least some things haven't changed," I say to Jacob. He nods, and I can see a small smile on his face. I let go of his hand, and start walking. Nowhere in particular. I just want to enjoy this. I feel Charybdis wriggle around in my grip, and let him go. He excitedly tries hopping towards the water, but only succeeds in falling over onto his side. I laugh, and to my surprise, so does Jacob.

I pick Charybdis back up, and we head towards the water. I notice Jacob rustling around in the pocket of his jacket for something. He stops moving his hand around after a moment, but leaves it in his pocket. Like he's holding something he doesn't know if he should take out. His Pokemon, I realize.

"You can let him out." I tell him. He gives me a worried look.

"Aren't you worried? After…after what happened on the boat?" I look at him for a moment, and think about this. Ever since meeting him this morning, this kid has had two distinct modes; shut off to the world, or too afraid to be happy. It's starting to get to me.

"Look," I say, sounding a bit angry. "Do you trust your Pokemon?" He looks down for a moment, considering, then nods.

"Then what are you afraid of? If you trust your Aron, don't be afraid of what he can do. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? He'll blow a little sand around? Big deal." He extracts the poke ball from his pocket, giving it a long look. He closes his eyes, and nods.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just do it."

He opens his eyes, looking at me. His mouth twitches into another faint prolouge of a smile, and he tosses the sphere in his hand into the air. In a flash of red light, his Aron appears in front of him, landing clumsily on the sand. He gives a little cry of joy upon finding himself in a veritable play place of soft sand, and begins rolling around in the stuff. Jacob's face develops from a tiny smile to a full-on grin as he watches his Pokemon. At least he seems happy now.

My attention returns to Charybdis' persistent wiggling in my arms. I tell Jacob I'm going to take my Pokemon to the water. He nods, not looking away from his Aron, who has now started burrowing his head into the sand.

At the water's edge, I release Charybdis, letting him hop into the calm waves of the sea. I reach into my pocket, procuring Rosa's poke ball. She's still weak from the battle earlier, but I figure being near the water will help her wounds to heal. She finds a comfortable spot in the shallows, and nestles herself into the sand, letting the gentle waves caress her bruised body.

As Rosa rests and Charybdis plays, I look back to Jacob. He's sitting in the sand now, tossing handfuls of sand at the Aron, who seems overjoyed by the game. Jacob has taken his jacket off, and the sleeveless shirt he wears shows off his arms. He's surprisingly muscular for such a small kid. I guess he feels a need to make himself seem more mature. But whether or not this is true, the fact remains that he seems so much younger than Keith or I.

According to Keith, Jacob is my age, or a little younger. His size alone isn't what could easily make someone question his age. He has a rounder, childlike face, but that isn't quite it either. There's just something about this kid that carries a youthful innocence about him. It's not quite the same as a young child, more like someone who's been raised in enough isolation to preserve that innocence that usually goes away as a person grows up.

I recognize it because I've seen it before. When my parents and I came to Pacifidlog, the transition in our lives was, obviously, major. One of the hardest parts for me had been fitting in with the kids there. Living in Slateport all your life gives you this sense of freedom. It's such a big place, you could easily get lost in it and still have a good time. Michael and I would take our bikes up to Mauville whenever we wanted, to see a gym battle or look at the Pokemon at the day-care center, or just for the sake of exploring. Moving to Pacifidlog after that was like moving from a palace to a studio apartment. There was nothing but water in all directions, you couldn't escape it. The place may as well have been on another planet.

As a result, the kids there were worlds away from what I had been used to. After a few months, when I finally came out of my "I just saw my brother die saving our lives" shell, I realized that nobody in the town was anything like me. Most of the kids had a similar kind of innocence to what I see now in Jacob - an innocence developed by living your entire life in isolation from the outside world. Not quite stupid - although I was quick to diagnose it as such for a while - but very simple-minded, just through a lack of experience with what else there was to the world.

Eventually I met Kara, another refugee like me, and we forged a fast friendship. She had hailed from Lavaridge, and had happened to be visiting family in Slateport when disaster struck. I think having each other helped both of us, because after we met each other we found it easier to start opening up to the kids who had always lived in Pacifidlog, and we began to understand them more.

Having someone to related to my past was what helped me open up to the future. If I can relate to Jacob in some way, maybe I can help him, too.

I snap back to reality when I realize Jacob is watching me. Our eyes meet as I realize I've still been staring at him this whole time, and I quickly look away. Not a very good start to making a connection with him.

Luckily, the awkward moment is broken by a familiar voice.

"Tess, you waited for me to start the interrogation? How kind."

**Keith**

After Tess escapes with Jacob, I turn back to my opponents. Both are soaked and angry from Tess' Horsea. In front of them are two Pokemon, a Ninjask and a Gloom. I give them a mocking grin.

"I have you at an advantage here, guys. I'm sure you've realized that. But I don't want you to run away just yet." I'm managing to sound cool and collected, but inside my mind is reeling, hoping I can play it cool and make a clean getaway.

"I'd be very interested to know why the two of you were pursuing my friend back there."

"What do you care? Do you even know who he is?" One of the men sneers.

"I know him well enough." I lie. "Well enough that I know he's not capable of doing anything bad enough to warrant his arrest…or capture, or whatever you think you're doing." The man doing the talking gives me another sneer.

"You don't even know who he is, do you?" His voice is incredulous. "You're just blindly protecting this kid. What's in it for you? Just stand down, buddy, and we'll forget this-"

"What's in it for me," I say, cutting him off. "is an ally. If his identity is important, he'll tell me. You're right that I don't know him very well, but I still trust him a hell of a lot more than I plan on trusting you." I cross my arms defiantly, watching my opponents. Their bodies seem to cower slightly in the shadow of my impressive Crobat.

"Let's just go," the quieter of the two men says to the other. "The kid isn't even top priority right now…and we aren't prepared to deal with anything like this right now."

The other man looks ready to protest, but is interrupted by a tone of white noise from his pocket. He curses under his breath, reaching into his uniform pocket and extracting a walkie-talkie, as a female voice begins to speak from it.

"All PFH units, please return to base, code 501. I repeat, return to base. Code 501." The two men look at each other.

"We gotta go."

"I know that." says the more talkative man. He turns to me.

"Looks like today's your lucky day, buddy. But don't count on that luck lasting too long." He returns his Poekmon, turns and sprints, heading back to the north end of town, the other man fast at his heels. I sigh in relief.

"Wasn't sure how that one was gonna play out, Vladmir. Thanks for looking scary for me." I say to my Crobat. Vladmir doesn't emote much, but gives a little twitch of his ears in return.

"Go fly for a while," I tell him. "I'll be at the beach." Vladmir gladly propels himself into the sky, and soars west. He'll be back in a while. Vladmir is fantastic at finding things from the air, so even if we leave the beach it won't be an issue. Deciding there's no reason to rush, I take a leisurely pace as I make my way down towards the beach.

I think about a few things as I walk along the stone street. First of all, the sudden recall of the two PFH agents. What is a code 501, I wonder? Something dangerous, or just a fancy glorification of "we dropped a bunch of stuff and need help picking it up"? There's no use dwelling on that, so I move on.

Next is Jacob. The more persistently obnoxious of the two men had seemed to act as if he knew more about Jacob than I did. That's not hard, of course, but it was the way he said it…_you don't even know who he is, do you?_

Is Jacob someone important, I wonder? Someone wanted by the authorities? No, it couldn't be. Full background checks were preformed on all applicants for the trip to the mainland, and Jacob was approved without a problem. Then what does PFH want with him?

One last thing comes to my mind, as my thoughts turn to Tess' escape with Jacob. I was surprised at her speed in the moment, seeming to know automatically what needed to be done. She had mentioned something about her and her brother getting into similar situations as kids, which leads me to wonder what kind of lives the two of them led here.

As I approach the beach, I see the targets of my worry. Jacob sits in the sand, playing with Garnett. Tess is farther out, at the water's edge. I see her Pokemon splashing about in the water. At least they're safe.

"Tess, you waited for me to start the interrogation?" I shout to her from across the beach. "How kind." She turns to see me, and raises an eyebrow.

"What are we, military?"

"I'm kidding. How's everybody?" I inquire, passing Jacob on my way to meet Tess by the water. She smiles.

"Rosa's resting from the battle, and Char…well, he's enjoying himself, I guess."

"Good, but…" I lower my voice.

"You know what I mean." She grimaces, and nods.

"He…he's okay, I think. Should we talk to him?"

"We should." The time for keeping secrets is ending, I've decided. If Jacob expects me to come with him, he needs to open up. Now or never. Jacob is watching me, and stands As I start to approach.

"You ready to explain, bud?" I try to seem as non-confrontational as possible, but he's silent. He just nods. And I see it again in his eyes, that ferocity I saw at the dock this morning. Just what is in his past that gives this kind of reaction whenever he thinks about it? He blinks, and begins to speak.

**Yo, dawgs! Season 1 of Shattered Gemstones is ALMOST DONE! Can you believe it? Don't forget, you'll be able to read the ginormous awesome season finale a week early over at PokemonPodcast. Com!**


	16. Chapter 15: Fighting Fears and Fate

**Chapter 15**

**Fighting Fears, Fighting Fate**

**1. Weaving tales**

**Toby**

I see the sun's reflection glaring off of Lucas' gun more than the weapon itself. Upon Lucas' request, I glance over at Ariana and give her a nod. She nods back at me, and we emerge.

The scene is pretty much what I expected. Damian's cornered, stuck between a snarling Houndoor and the edge of the cliff. Lucas glances back at him for a moment, but quickly retrains his eyes on Ariana and I. But we're ready.

"Toby…" Damian starts to speak, but Lucas cuts him off.

"Shut up! I'm the only one talking right now, got it?" He gives Damian a sneer, and turns back to me and my young companion.

"So then…Ariana, was it?" Ariana nods frantically. She's a good actor. On the way here, and even up until the moment we emerged, she was calm and reserved. But she knows to stick to the plan. Damian looks sympathetic, even he buying into her act.

"Come here, Ariana." Lucas invites, beckoning with the nose of his gun. She gulps, and slowly steps forward.

"FASTER, BITCH!" He shouts it with a sort of sick glee, and I grind my teeth to hold myself back from retaliating in Ariana's defense. Ariana squeaks in fake fear, and walks quickly and stiffly up to Lucas, stopping right in front of him.

"Good…" he purrs, putting his free hand on Ariana's shoulder. She tenses up at his touch. He sneers, obviously enjoying this.

"What are you doing, Lucas?" Damian shouts, not paying much mind to the snarling dog at his heels. "If you hurt her, I swear-"

"Don't worry," Lucas cuts him off. "Your sister still has immunity, for now."

Everything goes quiet. At least, that's how it seems. I see confusion on Damian's face as he looks from Lucas to Ariana, then to me, then back to Lucas. I look at Ariana, and there's something different about her face now. She still wears a face consumed by fear, but now it seems more real. Like what Lucas has just said has broken through her guise. Lucas cocks his head at Damian's confusion, and then his face breaks into a wide grin.

"Oh…" he chuckles. "you didn't know, did you?" Ariana is staring intently at the damp grass at her feet as her captor drapes his arm over her shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Damian growls. "What are you trying to say?" Lucas just laughs.

"Oh…oh, this is RICH!" He spits on the ground in front of him. "You really never knew…oh, this is wonderful. At the moment of your ever-so-TRAGIC demise, you finally find out the truth! My my, Ariana…" She tenses up as he tightens his grip. "You're better at hiding things than I gave you credit for."

"DAMN IT!" Damian is visibly shook-up by this. "Ariana, what's he talking about?" Ariana just keeps her eyes on the ground, shaking her head silently. Damian looks at me, and I see fear in his eyes as well. And all I can do is shrug. There's nothing I can say or do right now to reassure him. All I can do is wait for the plan to kick into action.

"Oh, Damian." Lucas' voice is musing. He's teasing his prey before making the kill. "In all the time you and your dear sister spent under the GRACIOUS hospitality of Cerberus, you always thought you were doing such a great job protecting your sister. But did you ever stop to ask her who was truly protecting whom?"

Damian's eyes narrow. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're bluffing." Ariana looks up, a bit of hope in her eyes. Whatever Lucas is getting at it, Ariana doesn't want it to get out. She looks over at me, nervously. I nod, doing the best I can to be reassuring. With any luck, the plan will kick into action any second now.

"Oh, Damian, I wish I was." Lucas says, his voice dripping with a false, mocking pity. "But it would seem your precious little sister has been hiding quite a bi-"

He's cut off by the sound of rustling in the trees. Lots of rustling, and footsteps. Far too fast and too many to be people. Lucas turns to face the oncoming noise, aiming his gun into the shadows. He releases Ariana to clasp both hands around the weapon.

Safe for the moment, Ariana and I begin going through the motions as planned. I snap my fingers, and Checkers bounces out from the bushes on cue, spitting a strong water gun into the face of Lucas' Houndoor. The dog yelps in surprise, backing away from Damian. Ariana runs to him, grabs his hand, and pulls him over to where I am.

"What's the plan?" Damian asks me. At least he's realized we have one. I look over to where Lucas stands, fixated on the growing sounds coming from the trees.

"Just be ready."

"To do what?"

Just as he speaks, they break through the trees. Mightyena. At least a dozen. All large, all angry. All rushing straight for Lucas, and, by association, us. Lucas' Houndoor runs up to face the Pokemon, but it won't be enough. They will overpower Lucas, and quickly. I turn to Damian.

"Run!"

**Keith**

The water laps lazily at the sand. It's very quiet. Jacob is thinking, planning out how exactly he wants to say what he's about to say. Then, he begins to speak.

"My father…" he begins, "is a very rich man. He always has been. I was raised by just him, after my mom…well…" he grimaces. I give him an encouraging smile. He goes on.

"My mother was never really around, and so I was just raised by him. My father. He…he wasn't the parental type, I guess. He would give me whatever I wanted, except for any of his time. He was a busy man."

"Who is he, exactly?" I ask. It's not really important, as far as I can tell, but I'm curious. Jacob exhales.

"His name…his name is Alexander Mondego. He started making money as the owner of a few poke ball manufacturing plants, and stuff like that, but after a few years he expanded. This was still before I was born, but he moved into manufacturing machine parts and even weapons. At first he didn't do so well…this isn't a very militaristic country…but then things started to change.

"Around when I was born, my father started making some deals, and selling to…less approvable buyers. You remember the attacks by Team Rocket in Kanto, a couple years back? My father supplied them with equipment and pokemon. His first clients, back in the day, were the people who eventually formed Team magma and Team Aqua."

"But Team Aqua and Magma only attacked a few years ago, didn't they?" Tess asks.

"Yes, just a few months before the disaster began. I don't know a lot about what they were doing before that, but my father told me that their goals had been very different back then. I don't really know more than that.

"But as my father became richer, questions began to arise as to how he became so wealthy. He would be arrested if it was ever uncovered that he had done the things he had, so he tried to cover his tracks by also beginning to spread his wealth around. Look like a good guy, that sort of thing. He donated to charities, relief funds after the disaster struck, and then, when the repopulation project began, he stepped in to help. He proposed a work force to watch over the trainers who would be exploring the new mainland, and called it the P.F.H."

"Hold on," I stop him. "your DAD is the one who started the P.F.H? He's basically the whole reason we're here?"

"Not exactly," Jacob says with a shrug. "He's not in charge of the group itself, but he's funded most of the project, as well as the training of the P.F.H's workers. He's not at the top, but has enough influence to do as he pleases within his limits, and that's how he likes it."

"Wait a minute, Jacob. Let's back up." Something occurs to me that doesn't fit with his story.

"If you were born to such a rich family, able to do whatever you wanted, how did you wind up living ina cave in Dewford?" Tess eyes me, eyebrows raised, at this new information. I realize I hadn't told her that little tidbit. Oops.

"Well…" Jacob hesitates. "I guess that's just it. When I was little, my father and I would come to Dewford on vacation in the summers. I don't think he ever enjoyed the trips, but I did. It was always so much more peaceful there…my father only took me because he saw it as something parents were _supposed _to do with their kids, not because he wanted to.

"We took our last trip there when I was 13. By that point, he had pretty much stopped caring altogether what I did with my time, so long as it didn't interfere with his work. That was the year I discovered that little clearing in the cave.

"I had always liked Granite Cave. I don't know what it was about it…but it felt just secluded enough to be peaceful, but also near enough to town that it wasn't lonely. I would always go exploring the caves whenever I went. Father would send me with one of his aides to make sure I was kept safe. But the year I found the clearing, he allowed me to explore it by myself, so long as I took one of his Pokemon.

"When I found the cave, I was really excited. I forced my father to come see it, and told him I wanted to live there. Obviously, he didn't agree to that, but he did do something for me that I wouldn't say I had expected him to do. He had a bed, desk and some other stuff set up in the place I had found, and told me that I could go there whenever I wanted. I had taken boating lessons, so after some practice I was able to take myself to the island without his say-so.

"I was so happy there for a while. The locals on Dewford were always friendly, and there was always something fun to do. I liked the feeling of…I don't know what to call it. Almost-solitude, I guess? The feeling of independence, staying solitary with the freedom to become less solitary if I wanted. It was nice.

"But," I interject again. "When I met you this morning, you said you had been living in the cave for a while." He grimaces, looking away.

"About a year later, I came a cross something. My father had taken me with him to a laboratory in Orre that he had been selling materials to. I don't really recall why we were there, or why he had decided to take me, but there we were.

"I got bored, and slipped away from my father. I wound up roaming the halls of the facility until I was completely lost. Eventually, I found a room that spiked my interest. It was big, with a lot of equipment. It was empty, but looked recently used. All the lights were on, and some computers were buzzing. But what caught my eye was something else.

"In a glass container of some kind, near the center of the room, was a Pokemon. It looked hurt. I knew it was obviously part of some experiment, and it was none of my business, but none of that really occurred to me at the time. I just saw a wounded Pokemon. And it was a kind of Pokemon I recognized, too." As he speaks, his eyes dart to Garnett, who sits quietly in the sand.

"It was your Aron, wasn't it?" Tess' tone is soft, understanding. Jacob nods, and continues.

"He was obviously in pain, and I wanted to help him. I didn't know what kind of things they were doing to him, and I didn't really care. I found a couple poke balls in the room, and managed to sneak him out before anyone caught me."

"What did you plan to do with him?" I ask. If his father had found Garnett, wouldn't he have just taken him away?

"I was careful. I nursed Garnett to health in secret, and managed to keep him concealed from my father. A couple days later, I asked my father about the people who used the lab, but he wouldn't tell me anything. So that night I snuck into his office and onto his computer.

"I found…a lot of things. Very, very incriminating things. About my father, and about the people he did business with. Things about the lab where I had found Garnett, and…"

He trails off, his eyes ablaze. He gets so fearsome when he thinks about his past, and I think Tess and I are at the edge of understanding why. Tess puts a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him, but he pulls away.

"…There were some things on there I don't like to think about…not just about my father, but about our whole family. Some people who I knew, some I had never even known existed…it was all scary to read about, but I couldn't pull away. I had to know.

"I was up all night reading. When my father found me the next morning, he passed it off as nothing, same as usual. Even know, I bet he still has no idea how much I know. I took some time to think about everything I had found out, and by that night I made up my mind. I packed a suitcase, stole as much money as I could carry from my father's safe, and fled with Garnett. Like I said, I knew how to pilot a boat, so getting out wasn't a problem. We lived on a mansion on a little island south of Hoenn's waters. So it wasn't too far to go. I found a little cavern in the coastline where I parked the boat until dawn, and then I set sail quickly to Dewford. I came to the cave, and I've just been there ever since."

"Your dad didn't look for you?" Jacob shakes his head.

"I don't think he cared that much. He probably thought about it, but decided that I wasn't worth his time. Maybe he was right."

"Don't say that," Tess comforts, but Jacob doesn't seem to hear. He continues.

"Either way, he left me for dead, and I got on with my life. I was safe in Dewford. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even remember the cave."

"If you were safe, why did you decide to come here?" I ask. "you seemed pretty nervous to leave."

"Honestly," he says with a shrug, "I was running out of money. I had heard that we would be taken care of as much as we needed on the trip, so I kind of just decided to go. Next thing I knew, I was signed up and ready to go, waiting for the boat with you." He looks at me, a sort of apologetic expression on his face.

"So your dad…" Tess asks, speaking the thought I had just been forming in my head, "he funded the P.F.H, right? So if those guys were after you back there, does that mean your dad is looking for you?"

"It must be. I don't understand why dad wants me now, after two years. But I don't want to go back to him. I can't. If not for me, then for Garnett." He looks down at the Aron, who lies sound asleep in the sand, and I see something new in his eyes. Compassion, and a great deal of it at that. It's nice to see.

"Well then," I say, trying to take charge. "If the P.F.H is looking for you, then we might want to stay out of their reach as much as we can."

"…you still want to stay with me?" Jacob's voice is quiet, but hopeful. He looks me into his eyes, and the fire that was there is gone now, replaced by two gray pools of water, still and clear.

"Sure." I say, flashing a grin. "It sounds like fun, actually. If we're on the run from the P.F.H, it gives us all the more incentive to travel, and see as much as we can see. That's what I'm here for anyway. What do you think, Tess?" In my heart, I hope she agrees, but I wouldn't blame her if she decided against it. She grimaces.

"So, I've fallen in with an older man and a wanted boy, huh?" I sigh, bracing for the worse. But she gives me a teasing grin. "Sounds like a plan to me!" I laugh, and even Jacob smiles. I guess we're a team now.

"So," I say, trying to get down to business. "If we want to stay safe, the first thing we should do is find somewhere safe to spend the night. Any ideas?" Jacob just shrugs, staring into space. Tess looks back towards the city, and nods.

"Yeah, I know a place."

**2. All in the Past**

**Damian**

Everything happens quickly once Toby and Ariana emerge. The horror of seeing my sister threatened hurts, but I don't let it cloud my mind. I can't. I can't. I can't.

Everything happens quickly. Quickly and vividly. I feel every moment sear itself into my mind, but I block out the pain. I have to block it out. But what I can't block out is Lucas' taunts.

At first, I assume he's lying, doing whatever he can to get a rise out of me. Toying with me. But Something about his words, and Ariana's reaction, bite at my mind. But I can't let myself think about it right now. I can't afford to.

I waste no time when Toby tells me to run. I make a mad dash for him and Ariana, and take my sister by the hand.

"Let's go, quickly! I'll explain everything once we're clear." Toby says, and I nod. I dash into the woods, Toby at my side and Ariana at my heels. Behind us, I hear Lucas yelling commands to his Pokemon. Just before we leave earshot, those yells turn to screams. And all of it is coated with a layer of barks, as the Mightyena assault Lucas.

We slow down after a few minutes, making sure to put plenty of distance between ourselves and the battle behind us. I turn to Toby. There's a lot I want to say to him. I want to chew him out for endangering my sister, but at the same time I want to thank him for saving my life. But what I come out with is this.

"You're absolutely insane. How did you do that?"

The first part wasn't something I had meant to say out loud, more just a thought I had. But he laughs at my words.

"Well, we knew you were in trouble. I hate to tell you, but Lucas led you right into that. I've seen it before, and it never ends well. So we had to act fast."

"We realized that our best resource were the Mightyena." Ariana speaks up, letting go of my hand. "We found the body of one, and…" She grimaces, and Toby steps back in.

"We made a trail. The Mightyena didn't go far after the battle in town, they were mostly prowling around the edge of town. We spotted a pack for a distance, and left the carcass for them to find. From there it was just matter of setting up a scent trail." Toby glances over to Ariana.

"I remembered reading once that Pecha berries have a scent that Mightyena detect as similar to how humans smell. Between finding a fallen Poochyena covered in what they think is human scent and a lot of sore spots from fighting people in Lilycove, their aggression would be high. So we led a trail of the juice, leading to near the clearing where you were."

So, my sister is more resourceful than I gave her credit for. But something doesn't add up.

"How did they know to go after Lucas?" Ariana smiles.

"I figured Lucas would use me as bait. So, when he grabbed me, I waited until the right moment and dropped a couple berries into his pocket. They give off a very strong smell that Mighgtyena pick up easily, so the Mightyena smelled the exact same scent on Lucas that they smelled on the dead Poochyena. It was a little risky, but it worked out."

"A LITTLE risky?" I'll admit it wasn't a bad plan, but I've reached a boiling point. Maybe it's just stress from what's just occurred, but I snap. I turn to Toby.

"I can't BELIEVE you did this! She could have DIED, and you just let Lucas take her? I can't believe I almost trusted you!" Toby backs up, hands raised.

"Damian, she volunteered to do it. The plan was mostly her idea." I lunge forward, grabbing him by the cuff of his shirt.

"What the HELL does that mean? You're still the one who agreed to risking the life of a 12 year-old girl!" I glare daggers into his eyes, my lip curled into a snarl. This is the angriest I've gotten in a long time - years, maybe - and now that I've started, I don't plan to stop until I'm burned out. Toby gazes calmly into my eyes, pushing me gently away from him. For some reason, this angers me more. He opens his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it! You don't get to apologize." He raises an eyebrow, but backs off. I turn to Ariana.

"And you! I can't believe you'd go along with something like this, let alone be the one to suggest it! I honestly expected better of you than this, Ariana. I thought you knew better than to risk yourself like that."

"I know to protect my brother." Her words are stone cold. She holds a steady gaze into the distance. She doesn't look at me, or Toby. For some reason, this bothers me more than her words.

"How to protect me? Excuse me?" The indignation in my voice erupts like a volcano. "Who's the one who spent the last five years working their ass off to support us? To keep us safe? I'm all you've got, Ariana! I'm it! What the hell would you have had to protect me from?"

Oh no.

Oh, no. Please no.

The pieces begin to fall perfectly into place, one by one. Lucas' comments, which I tried to brush off as meaningless taunts, shine true.

_She's still protected. For now._

_You're better at hiding things than I gave you credit for._

_But did you ever think to ask her who was really protecting who?_

"Ariana…" My voice comes out very quietly. I want to scream, but my voice is muffled by a gag of my own confusion. It's all I can do to mumble. "What did you do?"

"…"

"Was Lucas telling the truth?"

"…"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. It's all in the past now."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" I'm shaking. I'm falling apart. Right here, in the middle of the woods, I am disassembling. Torn apart by my imagination leaping to a million places at once. Nobody to bear witness to my crumbling except my sister, the cause of it all, and the only other person I know who doesn't want me dead.

Ariana looks at me.

"I never told you because I knew you would react like this…"

"Please, Ariana…just tell me…" I'm pleading now. Bargaining. Pitiful. But she shakes her head.

"I did what I had to."

She turns. She's walking away. Towards Lilycove. Away from me again. No, no no.

"Ariana!" I lunge forward, but Toby grabs me by the arm.

"ARIANA!"

"Let her go." Toby's voice holds steady, trying to calm me. But nothing will calm me. I struggle, but can't break free. I can feel a couple tears leak down my cheeks.

"Damian, you need to calm down. I'm sure she'll explain herself, but you need to calm down…"

I stop struggling. Not because he tells me to, but instinctively. I just sort of give up on the spot. I fall to my knees, feeling moisture from the damp grass soak through my jeans. Toby is right. I hate him for it, but he is right. I need to calm down. I need to regain control.

I need to know what my sister has done.

**Tess**

I'm here again. Just a little while after the battle with Keith, I'm back. Before, I came here to try and escape my past. Now, I'm ready to face it. Keith and Jacob stand off to the side, letting me have some space. I'm thankful for it. I take a deep breath, and step inside.

It's dusty. I'm sure things are broken, wrecked beyond repair, but for some reason the dust is what catches my attention. Everything is covered in a coat of the stuff, like a somber gray snow. Enough light shines through the cracked and broken windows to illuminate the place. The atrium I stand in is small, but even that brings memories.

_A boy runs into the building, no older than 11. Behind him walks a girl, only 6 or 7, struggling to keep up. Their entrance is met by smiles on the faces of the scientists. They all recognize the kids as belonging to one of their coworkers. The boy stops, gives them a grin, and runs into the main construction center. The girl hurries to keep up._

The construction center is in rough shape. Several of the supporting beams are bent or warped, almost all of them rusted, and a few broken altogether. I'm not worried, though. We'd need about 20 people on the second floor to risk any kind of collapse.

The large generator in the center of the room is still in one piece, but scarred by burn marks. I recall my father telling me about the fires that broke out here when the cataclysm first began. Looking closely at the walls, more scorch marks paint stencils across the entire interior of the room. A lot must have happened here. Even more than I had the chance to see…

_The boy halts. Lots of big, important-looking people are moving around. The room is very loud, from the sounds of equipment and a large generator. Men shout to each other, pounding away on vast chunks of metal, forming them into the shape of a boat's hull._

"_Hey there, little man." The boy, startled, turns to see a man in a lab coat staring down at him. The boy looks down._

"_Hi, Mr. Stern…"_

"_You two know you're not supposed to be down here, don't you?" Mr. Stern's voice is scolding._

"_Yes, sir." The boy mumbles. The girl elbows him in the ribs._

"_Told ya so." The boy pushed the girl away, and she sticks her tongue out at him. Mr. Stern laughs._

"_Your dad's upstairs. He's expecting you, so go ahead up." The boy grins, glad to not be in trouble, and takes the girl's hand._

"_C'mon Tessa, let's go!"_

Tessa. I forgot he had always called me Tessa. I remember deciding from very early on that I liked the name "Tess" a lot more than Tessa. Tessa sounded too cute for me, I wanted something short and cool. I guess I was pretty vain when I still barely knew how to count to 10.

Everyone went along with it, until I got into a fight with Michael. I broke a toy of his, and in the end he decided to get back at me by calling me Tessa instead of Tess. I hated him for it at first, and decided that instead of calling him Mikey like everyone else did back then, I would only call him Michael. After a while, both names stopped being used out of spite, and just became natural. To the rest of the world we were Tess and Mike, but to each other we were Tessa and Michael. And for whatever silly reason, that made all the difference in the world.

I return to the atrium, following the same path I would always take, without thinking about it, to see my father. I find Keith and Jacob waiting for me there.

"You didn't have to stay out here…"

"It's okay," Keith says with a small smile. "We figured you might need a minute." I smirk.

"I'm not about to break down…"

"Yeah, you're right…"

"Thanks, though." I say, turning to look to the stairs.

"Let's go see how the second floor is."

"_Michael, slow down!"_

"_You're just jealous you're too little to keep up!" The two children run up the stairs. The boy exits the stairwell on the second floor, stopping just in time to avoid running into someone's legs. The man stumbles around the boy, grumbling something, and moves on. The boy apologizes, but the man doesn't seem to hear._

"_Come on, Michael, can we find Dad?" The girl whines. Michael nods, and looks around. _

"_There he is, over at that table with Mr. White! Let's go." The boy points to a table where two men stand, bent over a set of blueprints. One man looks up as the boy and girl approach._

"_Hey guys, how was school?"_

"_Good." Chorus the two children in unison. The man gives them a warm smile._

"_Glad to hear it. I'm just going to be a few more minutes, so stay out of trouble, please." The boy nods, the girl barely paying attention. She tugs on the boy's sleeve._

"_Michael, let's go watch them build stuff."_

The second floor is in pretty bad shape. The floor is full of dents and large cracks, and most of the furniture is splintered and broken. Areas of floor are littered with glass from where one of the skylights has shattered.

"This is where he worked…" I say the words without realizing it. Keith responds from behind me.

"Who?"

"Oh, my father…my brother and I used to visit him here when we were little…then my brother started working here too, just a few months before…" I trail off. I can't let myself think about that part. Not just yet. I walk to the center of the room, where a large, fenced-in gap provides a view of the work that used to be done below.

_The boy and girl sit on the edge of the hole, legs dangling off the edge. The girl swings her feet back and forth as she clutches the cold metal, watching the work being done below her._

"_I want to go on a boat." She says. _

"_You will soon." The boy is calmer now, smiling to himself at the prospect of boating. _

"_I want to now. Why won't daddy let me?"_

"_He's just protective, Tessa. He didn't let me take my first boat ride until I was 8, because that's when his dad took him. I'm sure he'll take you when you turn 8."_

"_But 7 is most of the way to 8." The girl pouts. "It's so close, why can't he just take me now?" The boy laughs. The girl stands up, angered at his laughter. _

"_Hey, calm down Tessa. You'll get to ride, and I'll be right there with you. It's more fun than you could possibly imagine."_

"_You promise?"_

"_Of course. It's the most fun I've ever had!"_

"_No, Michael. Do you promise…do you promise you'll be there too?" The girl's face reddens with embarrassment. The boy grins._

"_Of course, goof."_

"_You're the goof!"_

I sit now where I did then, feet dangling off the edge. The metal fence is rusted, but it still feels like it did back then. From up here, things don't really look different down there. Just still. Frozen in time. And maybe, in time, we can defrost the place. I hope so.

This is where he stood, too. The last time I saw him. Knowing I can't let it bite at me any longer, I look to the back wall of the building. The elephant in the room.

There, an entire part of the floor is gouged by an enormous metal beam. My stomach churns at the sight of the blood stains, still present. My stream of memories fast forwards a few years, to the day we evacuated. The day I know I will always remember more vividly than any other. The day Michael died.

_A violent shake seizes the ground, rattling everything in the house. It is violent, but mercifully brief. The girl rushes to pack her things into a suitcase, when she hears a voice from outside her room._

"_Tess? Tess! We have to go!"_

"_Coming!" The girl bursts out of her room to meet her mother in the hall. "Are Dad and Michael still at the shipyard?"_

"_Yes. We're meeting them there." The mother grabs her daughter's hand, and they leave quickly._

_The path to the shipyard is mercifully safe. The two make it inside, and hurry to the second floor, where the girl's brother and father await._

"_Are you ready to g-" the brother starts to ask, but is interrupted by a violent earthquake seizing the building. The lights flicker, and something explodes on the floor below. The four of them run to the rail, looking down on a sea of flames below. Something burst in the generator, and flames and sparks are everywhere. The boy looks down, sweating profusely, and then looks to his father._

"_Get them downstairs."_

"_What?"_

"_I can get to the fire extinguisher controls and crank them to max. It won't fix the problem, but it should lower the flames for long enough to get everybody out. You get them out, I'll regroup as soon as I can."_

"_Mike, I-"_

"_Go!" The boy is insistent. There isn't time to argue. The father takes the girl's hand in one hand and his wife's in the other, and they run back downstairs._

_The girl looks up to where she can see her brother, _

_Quickly making his way through the frenzied workers, trying to reach a switch on the far wall.. A wall of flame sears the ground in front of them, blocking the exit. The father sends out his Pokemon, a Golduck, who engulfs the blaze with water as much as possible. But it isn't enough._

_Suddenly, a torrent of water rains down from above. The flames recede, and go out. _

"_Go!" Shouts the boy._

"_We're not leaving without you!" Says his mother._

"_I have to stay and help! Just for now. Dad, please…" The boy and his father lock eyes. The father grimaces, and nods._

"_Stay safe."_

"_Just go!" The boy replies, as a violent tremor shakes the building. The father ushers out his wife, who still protests, and his silent daughter._

_The girl looks back at just the right moment. Or the wrong moment. Whichever fits. She sees the beam break overhead just as her brother does, and can only bear witness as it plunges down on top of him in the blink of an eye._

_She screams._

I'm crying. I don't care, but it's still fact. Tears are streaming down my face. I had forgotten the visual of his death…until now. Now, I can't imagine how I ever forgot it. But now I remember. Now I know once more.

I stand up, wiping the tears from my eyes. I look at my companions. Jacob stares down at the floor, and Keith watches me. Not piteously, but curiously. I realize he still doesn't know the details. He still doesn't know why this place matters so much.

Should it matter to me at all?

Of course the place itself matters, but the memories attach me to it too much. Thinking about it now, I start to think about what it all means to em now. Remarkably, it actually seems pretty clear. Michael died saving my life, along with those of my parents and many other evacuees. The last thing I would ever want to do is leave his death in vain. So I must do whatever I can to make this land a better place. The land that was once our home. The land he died for.

I have to take his actions and use them to fuel my own. If he saved me, then there is no reason why I shouldn't make my lease on life matter. I have to move onward. I WILL move onward.

"Are you okay?" Keith's voice pokes its head in behind me. I turn to look at him.

"yeah, actually…I know this is random, but what do you say we finish that battle?"

We decide to finish our match on the roof. I stand, Charybdis in front of me, ready for the fight. In front of me, looming like a great, living shadow, is Keith's Crobat. It is truly fearsome, but for once I feel absolutely no fear. I am ready to look fear in the face and laugh. I am ready to fight.

**3. A Shift**

**Ariana**

Sometimes you have to keep secrets. You don't want to. You know that, in the end, all you'll end up doing is hurting someone you love, but you have to do it.

You have to do whatever you have to do to survive. Damian doesn't know that I've realized that, but I have. I've been watching him do it for years, after all. He never saw that part of me because he never bothered to look. He just saw his sweet, helpless little sister. But the truth is, I stopped being that person a long time ago.

Damian always tried to look out for me, and protect me. But when Cerberus invaded our building, and Lucas came into our home, I knew I would have to work to protect myself and my brotehr. I was proud to do it. And it turned out I did it well.

I block out Damian's cries as I walk back to Lilycove. It hurts to ignore him like this, but I know he needs to calm down. As soon as we spotted Lucas, I had a sinking feeling that things would go wrong. That Lucas would spill the beans, and tell Damian about the deals I had to make to keep us alive. I should have stopped my brother from chasing Lucas, but there wasn't time.

Damian will come to me once he's calmed down. For now it's best to forget about him and find something else to do.

The scene in Lilycove is calmer now. I'm relieved to see that the Mightyena are gone. The registration tables are set up again, and people are milling about the town. I see a couple trainers battling Pokemon, and that reminds me of my new companion.

I reach into my pocket, extracting the poke ball. I release the Vulpix, who immediately starts sniffing the ground. She smells home. She looks around, confused at the sight of people everywhere, and none of her kin. It's kind of sad to watch. I kneel down.

"It's okay, little one." I say, putting on a soothing inflection. I extend a hand, and the Vulpix trots up to me, giving it a lick.

"You haven't seen people before, have you?" I think out loud. "I guess you have no choice but to trust us…not like me at all." I sigh. This is the first time in a long time I've gotten to talk to someone without calculating every word, and I'm talking to a Pokemon. Great.

At least having a Pokemon gives me something to do. I bring my new friend to the registration table, and sign in, explaining that I had been going to be given a Pokemon on arrival, but that it wouldn't be necessary now. In a matter of minutes, I'm an official, registered trainer.

The Vulpix and I walk north, through the town. It's in rough shape, but I don't focus on the town itself as much as the experience. Walking by myself, being able to take in my surroundings without worrying about my safety, it's a nice change. I don't know how long it will last, but it's all I really need right now.

There's a dilapidated shopping center at the northern end of town. Some trainers surround it, and I hear the echoed voices of more inside. I walk up, stopping in front of the building, to take it in.

The windows are almost all broken, many more cracked. The walls are chipped away, leaving the place looking wounded. Spider-web cracks reach of the length of the building, almost reaching the top. It certainly doesn't look safe.

"It's kinda creepy, isn't it?" A voice startles me from my left. I look to find a girl, around my age, standing next to me. Her skin is pale, looking even paler in contrast to the long, curly red hair that blows about in the breeze.

"Yeah," I reply. I'm not really sure what to say. I guess she's just being friendly, but I never really had any friends after the evacuation.

"During the battle," the girl continues, "I Saw a bunch of Mightyena and Poochyena swarming out of here. I think this was their den." She looks s ad, like she's feeling sorry for the beasts.

"Well, they're just wild Pokemon." my tone is cold, uncaring. "We needed to take back what's ours." the gril shrugs.

"I guess. It's just funny how you always hear about the bond of friendship between trainer and Pokemon. And yet here we are, driving them out of their home."

"It was our home first." I retort. The girl shakes her head.

"No. No it wasn't. It was just ours most recently." She stares a the building, as if transfixed, and then back to me.

"Sorry, I'm Millie."

"Ariana."

"That's a really pretty name."

"Thanks." I smile, and to my surprise it doesn't feel forced. It's nice to have a conversation without trying to falsify myself.

"Hello there!" Millie says, looking down. My Vulpix has started sniffing at the girl's feet. Millie bends down to scratch the Pokemon behind the ears.

"What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one yet. I just caught her. Her family had been killed by the Poochyena. I think they were still after her when we arrived."

"Poor thing." Millie sighs. "I'm glad you saved her. She's a cutie."

"Yeah." I agree, looking down at the orange fox. It looks so young, so innocent, as it nips at Millie's fingers…just how I used to be. How I pretend to still be.

"How about Lily?" I cock my head, not sure what she means.

"Since you hadn't named her yet. Since you found her in Lilycove, how about Lily?" It's a simple name, and a little bit corny - well okay, a lot corny - but I like it. I look down at my new Pokemon, and the name fits.

"Lily…" I say to myself. "Lily the Vulpix…I like it." I give her a smile, still genuine for once. "Thanks." She grins.

"You're welcome! I named my Pokemon after where I got them, too. I have a Staravia named Twinleaf, and a Pachirisu named Sunny, after Sunnyshore city. I come from Sinnoh."

I nod, distracted by a sudden feeling of foreboding. I look behind me, and see my brother walking towards me. Toby isn't around. Damian probably asked him to give us some time. I exhale.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. My brother…" Millie gives me an understanding grin.

"It's cool, my big sister's around here somewhere too…I'm surprised I got more than three feet away from her. It was nice meeting you!"

"You, too." I say, turning to face my brother. "C'mon, Lily." I don't think Lily recognizes her name yet, but she still follows behind me when I start walking.

Damian and I meet in the middle of the old stone road. He isn't angry any more. He looks more confused any more. _here it goes…_

"So what did you do?" He asks. "This whole time I thought I was protecting you, keeping the Cerberus away from us and working as a mole. So what were you doing?"

Where to begin? Actually, I know exactly where.

"Damian…you remember how occasionally, people would disappear from the building?"

"You knew about that?"

"Sure…I mean, word got around. Well, those people were taken by Cerberus and…toyed with. Some of them killed, some of them tortured. Their leader, that Malakai guy, was really messed up. Anyway, pretty soon after they first occupied the building, they came knocking on our door."

"What?"

"You weren't home at the time, you were out shopping or something. That's another thing they would do. Wait until one person in an apartment left, and then abduct the rest just to mess with them. And they were ready to do that with me.

"But by that point, I had figured out that we were probably on their hit list. So when Lucas came, I proposed a deal. He laughed at first, but when he realized I was serious he listened. We would be protected, promised immunity from their crap, as long as I worked to earn it."

"Worked?" Damian is concerned. Of course he is, when is he not? "What kind of work?"

"Services. Help. Another grunt."

"Another…Ariana, you don't mean-"

"Yes." This is going to be hard. Not because I betrayed Damian, that part was hard at first but I got over it. Watching his reaction is what's going to be hard.

"Once in a while, while you slept, I would be out with Malakai's thugs. Stealing Pokemon, looting, whatever needed doing. The first time nobody expected me to make it, not even myself. But it turned out I was good at it. Knowing that I was protecting us, keeping us safe while you tried to get us out, was all I needed to keep me going."

Damian's eyes are cold. His hands are curled into tight fists. He's not looking at me, but down at his feet.

"And just how far did it go?"

"I didn't kill anyone. The most I ever did was keep lookout for cops. I know helping them was wrong, but it could have gotten a lot worse." My voice trails off. I really hope he doesn't push further.

But of course, he does.

"There's something you're not telling me."

"…"

"Ariana, just tell me." He's calm as he can be, trying to bargain with me. I might as well let it out.

"…I saved his life."

"What? Malakai's?"

"No. Lucas'." Watching Damian's face is like watching someone going through every stage of grief at once.

"It was the one time we almost didn't make it back. A police officer found him, and was about to take him down. She didn't see me, and I distracted her long enough for him to get away. It wasn't anything huge or dramatic, but I think he still remembers it. He's an evil guy, but he has a sense of honor."

"Who are you?" Damian's words cut like a knife. I feel so bad for him, having to find out about this now. And maybe I still feel a little bad for the things I did after all.

"I'm the same person I've always been, Damian."

"You're NOTHING like you always have been! What happened to you?"

"Life happened, Damian. Face it. We've had a tough life, and it forced me to grow up quickly. The innocent little girl you thought I was died a long time ago."

The silence that follows is awful. Damian just stares fixatedly into my eyes, and for the first time it's hate I see. True, unbridled hate.

"You were keeping this a secret all this time? Why?"

"Because I'm smart, Damian. I'm really smart. Smarter than you. I knew you would react like this. You, with your ridiculous sense of justice. You think it makes you a better person, but all it does is BLIND YOU!"

"…go to hell." He's turning. Why is he turning away?

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere away from you. I can't look at you, Ariana."

He's walking away. The one steadfast I've truly taken advantage of, and he's walking away. I don't try to stop him. I want to, but I don't. I just stand there, and watch him go.

There's no plan now. No calculation. No act I can put on to change things. I'm a stranger in a strange land, and my brother has forsaken me.

Whatever is ahead of me, it looks like I might be facing it alone.

**Jacob**

Keith won. Of course he won, his Pokemon were better. Better than Tess', and better than mine. That's okay.

I sit on the edge of the roof, watching the sea. It looks so different from this high up than it had from the boat.

Everything's scattered. My confidence is scattered by the thought of my father looking for me. My trust is scattered, because I want to trust these new people I've met, but I still don't really know how. I guess I'll just make it up as I go along.

Tess sits down next to me. She doesn't say anything. There's something I want to say to her.

A couple things I want to say to her.

A million things I want to say to her. But I don't need to. She speaks up.

"My life was so different this morning. I thought I had a plan. Me and my friend Kara…we were going to be the ones sitting up here…"

Is she telling me this? Or just sort of saying it, in that way people do? I want to know what happened to the girl.

"Where is she?"

"She couldn't come. But that's okay. I'm glad I met you guys. Everything's changed in one day…and I'm glad." I nod. She sounds like how I felt when I left home. The high that change gives you.

We sit in silence. The sun sinks into late afternoon. Keith is back at the camp, getting food for us. The plan is to leave at dawn. And then what? Who knows?

Keith and Tess have their own agenda. Tess found her peace inside the shipyard. Whatever connects her here, she's laid it to rest. Treating a memory like a dying old friend.

As for my agenda…it lies on the horizon. I don't know where. But I know my destiny. I know what it is that I'm looking for.

I know the nature of the dragon I hunt, and I will tame him.

My future lies in my past. The secrets I discovered on my last night in my father's house contained much more than I told them.

There is power in this place. Hoenn is a land rich with something I can't even comprehend. Something I want. But something my companions can't know about just yet.

Father spoke often of power. Not power he intended to obtain himself, but power he wanted me to know about. How to understand it, combat it, and use it. And it is power that I will obtain here.

But nothing can stay secret forever.

**Hey! So this is the finale of Shattered Gemstones' first "season", so there will be a break before the next chapter. But please, don't forget that this stuff gets published a week early on PokemonPodcast. Com! When season 2 of Shattered Gemstones begins, you can find it there a week early! In addition, stay tuned there for some exclusive material before season 2 begins! So stay tuned!**


	17. Interlude: The Hunter

**Interlude**

**The Hunter**

His eyelids rise with the moon. He's been out for a while. He's not sure how long. He is glad to be alive.

The hunter Sits up in the grass. The green blades are dyed red with blood. Some of it his, most belonging to others.

He looks to the creature who lies sleeping at his side. It lies awkwardly in the grass, not yet used to its new form. Its newfound horns find themselves gouged into the dirt. The fully-realized demon slumbers soundly.

It was a stroke of luck that saved the hunter and the demon. They had been pinned down, assaulted from all sides. The hunter still wears scars from the assault, and feels slightly dizzy from blood loss.

He had been in a world of pain. But then his savior appeared. Not a descendant from on high, but rather a transformation in a moment of dire need. His demon fully awakened, and discovered a newfound power to kill. A power which was used to swiftly end the hunters situation. The hunter lost himself in a sea of blackness, but regained himself long enough to see his demon take down one enemy, then another, and one more. The rest were quick to retreat, many limping or nursing scars or bruises as they went.

Now the hunter rises, his body bathed in the moonlight. His shirt is ripped, his face and body bearing enough rough, jagged lines to resemble a veteran soldier in a medieval war. His hair is soaked in sweat, and he feels himself swaying as he stands. _First things first._

The hunter makes his way to his bag, laying discarded in the grass, and sits down by it. Ripping it open, he extracts a protein bar, unwraps it, and grabs it in his teeth, freeing his hands to continue rooting around in the bag. He extracts a first aid kit, and begins treating his wounds.

The process is long and painful. Several cuts have to be stitched up, including a rather nasty one the hunter discovers on his right cheek. Rubbing alcohol stings, and then makes the pain bearable, but not much more. But he is glad to have gotten out without any broken bones. He counts himself lucky. But he still bears a great deal of fury at the situation.

His prey had eluded him. He had been a fool to allow the little one to slip through his fingers. In the back of his mind, he had known that she might not uphold her end of the deal, but he had decided to ignore it to go after his primary target. And not only did the little one come back to bite him, she had the nerve to bring reinforcements.

Well, he decides, that just gives him one more name to add to the list.

But, he reminds himself, one mustn't lose sight of the true task at hand. The real reason he is here. The things he is being paid to do. There is work to be done.

For now, he will rest. Regain his strength. Then, the preparation shall begin. The mission's purpose is uncertain, but that isn't the point. The point is to prepare the land for what comes next. What the hunters employer is waiting for. The hunter has his own agenda, but for now it makes the most sense to stick to his instructions.

The hunter looks up at the great mountain past the edge of the cliff. It looms, the battleground at its top telling of some conflict from times past. His first objective lies at the top of that mountain. After that, he will head north. From there, what will come will come. And with any luck, his own personal agenda will fall into line with the objectives he has been given. His prey are already preparing to make their way outward, and so is he.

Behind him, the demon stirs. The hunter turns, smiling at his familiar.

"It's okay, Samson. Go back to sleep. We'll rest for a while, I think." A less-than-sane grin entertains the hunter's lips.

"We have plenty of time ahead of us."

The hunter's agenda takes the form of deaths. His prey, the two protectors. They won't be able to protect themselves for much longer. And their new companion, the one who seemed to appear out of nowhere to come to their aid…he, too, shall fall.

As for his employer's agenda…well, that's where things will get interesting. Find the boy. The special boy. The boy who the hunter desires to meet, as well. Pave the way for him to access that which he desires, whether he realizes that desire or not. And then…

…well, why spoil what comes next?

**What you've just read isn't really a new chapter. As the title says, it's an interlude. Shattered Gemstones season 2, "A Vast and Fertile Wasteland" , is currently in production, and will begin before too much longer. Remember, you can read each new chapter a week early over at PokemonPodcast. Com, where we also have coverage for VGC and TC G nationals and lots of other great stuff to check out. So keep checking back there to see the first chapter of season 2 a week early!**


	18. Chapter 16: The Wise Girl and the Forest

**Season 2**

**A Vast and Fertile Wasteland**

**Chapter 16**

**The Wise Girl and the Forest**

_The Watcher stands high above. He watches the invading ones. They scramble about in the morning sun, trying to whatever it is that they are trying to do._

_The Watcher knows that their fate is sealed. They already gave this land up. And they can try to take it back, but they cannot succeed. _

_The fire of the earth burns low, a dull orange. But soon it shall burn blue again._

**Ariana**

"_So you're sure you want to do this, kid?"_

"_Of course. My brother's doing everything in his power to make sure we stay alive, and so should I."_

"_Smart kid. You're what, 11 or 12?"_

"…_I'm mature for my age."_

The dawn is welcome. It wakes me quickly from my dream, a flashback to a time I would much rather forget.

I sit up, surveying my surroundings. I've been sleeping in one of the many big tents they have set up in town, to act as a home base. This morning, we get our first assignments. Last night, when signing in, I had asked to be sent as an explorer. The sooner I get out of here, the better.

Falling asleep last night was hell. The longer I laid there, the more I thought about Damian, and what we had said to each other. Damian was forced to see the harsh reality, that the person he thought I was never really existed at all. And he reacted by abandoning me. I can honestly say I didn't see that coming, but I should have. I should have known this new information would be too much on him.

Waking up now feels a little different than it has in a long time. Like I've shed my shell. I don't have to pretend to be cute, or innocent, or quiet, or anything else that I'm not. Nobody here knows me, and the only person I had to hide myself from no longer wants me. I'm free.

So why do I feel so heavy? There's something in me weighing me down, like a concentration of all the lies crawled into my mouth and down my throat as I slept. Is it guilt? Loneliness? Maybe a little of both.

A soft touch at my arm snaps me back to my senses. I look down, and see Lily pawing at me. At least someone hasn't forsaken me. Too bad it's just a Pokemon, not a person at all I lay back down, and Lily instantly starts sniffing my face intently. It tickles, but I don't push her away. The contact is nice.

A lot of people are just stirring now, standing up and slowly making their way outside. I just lay where I am, not feeling very motivated to get up and face the day.

What should I do? Like, really. What do I do now? Coming here in the first place was Damian's idea, and although I went along with it, I more or less expected to follow his lead. We would go where he planned on going, but now I don't have anyone to follow. I have to carve out my own path here, and I honestly have no idea where to start. I've always been so take charge, willing to risk my life to protect myself and my brother - so why am I so directionless now? I feel lost.

Time passes, and I give up on hiding. I'm the only one still in the tent, and the sun is glaring brightly through the white plastic. Lily grows restless beside me, so I decide to bite the bullet and face the morning after all. I pick up my bag, now bulky with camping equipment supplied the night before, and head outside.

Outside, the place looks mostly the same. Last night after talking to Damian, I spent the evening roaming around streets I didn't really absorb, but I guess they must be the streets that I'm seeing now. The same ones I saw yesterday morning.

There's a large area by the boat that's been cleared off. I see trainers there receiving Pokemon. I see Damian's dust-colored hoodie, and quickly turn away. Lily is roaming where she pleases, only vaguely following me.

We'll all be issued instructions about our roles now that we're here. I'm going to be an explorer, which I figure means I won't have very many strict responsibilities. The power to run away into the woods sounds pretty enticing, I'll admit. But that wouldn't help anyone. It wouldn't give me any direction, and direction is what I need right now.

I wander north, and soon find myself back at the hollow department store. The bricks are ghostly whitish-blue, even where the paint is chipped away. It's depressing.

There's nothing here worth looking at. This whole place has been taking so many hits from the disaster over the last few years that I'm surprised there are any buildings still left standing. I never had any attachments to Lilycove, but the longer I'm here the more I want to leave. To run into the forest. And I don't have anyone to stop me. The temptation is so, so strong…

"Are you okay?"

The words snap me back to reality. I look to the voice's source, and see a girl with curly red hair. The same girl I met here yesterday. I struggle to remember her name.

"Um,"

"Oh, sorry!" She says in a hurry. "My name's Millie. We talked yesterday?"

"Right, Millie." I feel my face flush. I hate forgetting things. "Sorry, I remember. I've just got a lot on my mind…"

"That's okay." She says with a smile. "Actually, I saw you walking around last night, but you looked like something was on your mind and I didn't want to bother you." I'm surprised. This girl appears to be determined to be nice to me, and I'm not really sure how to handle that. Now I feel like I have to explain what's going on.

"Yeah, my brother and I came to a…disagreement. Now it looks like I might be traveling alone."

"Lucky!" She says, her eyes widening. "I'd love to be going without my sister and her boyfriend…"

"I'm not sure it's as great as you think." I cut her off. "I'm not really sure where to go or what to do now. It sucks, actually." Why am I doing this? Opening up to her like this? And also how? It just feels easy to talk about this stuff when it's with someone new, someone you haven't messed things up with yet.

A sound saves me from telling her more. Someone on a megaphone, down by the boat, is calling us back for orders. I look hurriedly around for Lily, finding her a few yards away. I run over to her, returning her to her poke ball. She is too busy inspecting a flower growing from a crack in the concrete to notice me.

"I guess we should head down there?" Millie says, and before I know it I'm walking with her. We don't really talk. She looks nervous.

I don't feel nervous until I've made my way back down to the pier. Everyone is converged there, in a crowd split down the middle by a sign indicating where to go. Explorers to the left, workers to the right. Surprisingly, the crowd of workers, those who will stay and help rebuild Lilycove, is much larger than that of the explorers. Maybe the Mightyena attack yesterday was too much for some people.

Millie gives me a quick goodbye before wandering off to find her sister among the group of people. At the head of the crowd is a stage, consisting up several raised platforms bolted together. Atop it stands a man in a bright red jacket. He looks middle-aged, with a mustache and combed-back white hair. He isn't speaking to us yet, conferring with some of the blue-coated workers standing just offstage.

In the meantime, I mill around the crowd of explorers. I'm sure I'll see Damian sooner or later, and I'm not looking forward to it, but I guess there's no avoiding it. Inspecting the people in the crowd, I see a lot of younger faces. Lots of teenagers, and even kids my age or younger. I guess most of the people willing to go out into the unknown like this are the young, blindly ambitious types.

So why am I doing this? That's not who I am. Sure, I want to see what's left of my home eventually, but I don't have any huge ambitions of changing the world, or seeing everything that's left of Hoenn. I'm here because for some reason, I thought I would be safer. But that got dashed in an instant. Maybe I am naïve, after all.

Damian aside, he and I came here for the same reason. To find sanctuary from our enemies. But our enemy followed us here, so now what? I've been thinking about it since last night, and I still just don't know what to do. What do I want to do? What am I here for? What am I looking for? What do I need?

The man on stage steps up to the microphone, and begins to speak. He tells us that his name is Juan, and that he is the gym leader of Sootopolis City. Forward from behind the stage step two more people, wearing the same red uniform as Juan. They look around Damian's age, and identify themselves as Tate and Liza, the twin gym leaders of Mosdeep City. I don't really know anything about them, but a lot of the other onlookers begin talking excitedly among themselves.

What follows is a speech by Juan. I tone it out, not really caring about his generic talk of ambition and courage. A lot of other people are getting into the speech, cheering and grinning with excitement. I wish I could channel the same joy , but I can't get myself to feel much of anything. He's just saying a bunch of empty words, none of them matter. The only interesting things he has to say are about the blue-uniformed workers, who he calls the P.F.H. Apparently their job is to stay around the cities that are being rebuilt, overseeing the reconstruction process.

The speech ends, and Juan directs us to stay where we are. He and the other two gym leaders step down, joining a small group of P.F.H agents off to the right. The group splits in two, all of its members carrying clipboards. One of the two groups begins speaking to members of the explorer group, the others moving over to the reconstruction group. They begin taking names and giving out assignments.

I'm towards the back end of the crowd, so I have a little time to kill. I spend it scanning the crowd for any sign of Damian or Toby. I spy Toby, but Damian isn't with him. Maybe Toby decided the sudden family drama was too much for him. I wouldn't blame him. But I still have to know where Damian is; I need to talk to him before he leaves. And so I shuffle through the crowd, making my way towards Toby.

"Hey."

"Hey," he starts with a start, turning to face me. I start to notice how weirdly short he is for someone the same age as Damian. He's still looking down at me, but not by a lot.

"Where's my brother?"

"Well, he was pretty shaken up last night…"

"Yeah…I'm sorry you had to deal with it."

"I didn't really deal with anything," he shrugs. "He thought everything through, and came to a decision."

"What decision?" A pit is starting to throb its way into my stomach. The lack of feeling inspired by the words of the man on the stage is being replaced with a cold dread. Damian acts decisive as a coping mechanism, so whatever choice he's made isn't as rational as he's probably told himself. Toby's eyes leave me, looking somewhere just behind me.

"I'm staying here."

I whip around, and he's there. Damian stands like a resolute statue, staring blankly down at me. He's the same as I am right now; not even able to feel anything.

"Damian…"

"If you're so damn independent, you shouldn't have any problems making it alone out there." His arms are crossed, his face stony. He means it.

"…why?"

"I just…I need to be away from you, Ariana. I don't want you around me. If you stay around me, I'll keep trying to protect you. It's in my nature. But I refuse to protect someone I don't know if I can trust anymore."

"Damian, you can trust me…"

"You know that's not true." He's snarling - actually SNARLING - these words. I've never seen him like this in my life. "You KNOW, Ariana, that that's a lie, and so do I. I just…" He looks away, trying to hide the tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"I just can't, Ariana."

I'm shaking. Not crying, not angry. Still not really feeling much of anything at all. Nothing except the pit, still throbbing merrily in my stomach. It feeds off what I'm hearing.

I need to escape. It hurts, hearing this stuff from my own brother, but I'm prepared, and a bit numb to it. I just want out, and that desire fuels me as I turn away from my brother.

"Ariana."

I don't listen. I just look to the west. The forest beckons. And I run to meet it.

**Shattered Gemstones (c) Jay Petrequin and pkmncast. com. Visit pkmncast. com now to see each new chapter weeks before it shows up here! Chapters 17 and 18 are already up, with more on the way.**


	19. Chapter 17: The Quiet Boy and the Night

**Chapter 17**

**The Quiet Boy and the Night**

**Jacob**

_Cave walls are damp. They're always damp._

_You could hold a hot lantern to a cave wall for hours, or wipe it with a towel until the thing ripped to shreds, and the wall would still have a faint moistness to it. You can work to change it, but you never really will._

_In my right hand, I hold a red ball. It's red and squishy. Spongy._

_In front of me is a cave wall. Not one I recognize. It's jagged and dark reddish-brown. It stinks, and drips._

_I throw the ball._

I am awakened by a hand on my shoulder. _Get up!_ my brain tells me, and my limbs obey. I'm on my feet, swatting the hand away. I look at the hand's owner, and after a moment my eyes focus on his face. It's Keith, looking a little surprised. I shrink back. _Stupid. Stupid and paranoid._

"Hey, cool it…" Keith says. The only light comes from a flashlight he hold in his hand, but it's enough for me to see the dark circles under his eyes. Despite how tired he must be, he's grinning. He looks proud of himself. Was I so hard to wake up that he saw it as a big achievement, or was he just happy to have made it through his shift on watch?

"Sorry." I mumble, staring out into the darkness of the night sky. From the roof of the shipyard building where we decided to make camp, I see the moon, a crescent grinning wickedly down on us.

"No worries, man. Glad your reflexes are good." He lets a huge yawn out of his mouth, stretching his face.

"So I'm on watch?"

"You got it, bud. You're on lookout until morning. Tess left a book out for us, so feel free to read if you'd like. And remember, wake us as soon as it starts to get light out. Don't wait until you can actually see the sun, we need to still have a little-" His words are cut off by another loud yawn.

"-cover of darkness. Oh man, I'm tired." He shuffles over to his sleeping bag, which lies between mine and Tess', unzipping his sweater and talking off his glasses before laying down and falling asleep immediately.

I pick up the discarded flashlight and shine it around me. The roof is mostly barren. I hear Keith's Crobat flying around above us, and its presence is reassuring. I'm not the lone guard here.

I shine the light beside me. Keith is on his stomach, breathing softly. Behind him is Tess. She lays on her side, her back turned to me. I walk around her, looking at her from the front. She's nestled into her sleeping bag, only her head and one arm poking out.

She's beautiful. The slumbering girl, her chestnut hair everywhere, is beautiful. But I don't know what to do with that. Beauty confuses me, and all the feelings that come with it are poisonous. I want to take her hand, lie down next to her. But I'm afraid to want. Wanting shows weakness. The only thing I let myself want is the thing I know I need. And it isn't love.

I assume the post Keith and Tess already had. I shine the light down off the edge of the building, but don't see anything worth the illumination. There's nothing to see but destruction and darkness.

I pick up the book sitting on the ground by my feet. It's a very old hardcover, with no visible title. Its front cover is inscribed with faded line drawings. In the center is a white star shape, and around it are three shapes; a blue diamond, a purple circle, and a red triangle. The four shapes are enclosed within a large, golden circle.

Turning the book over, the back cover is also inscribed with symbols. Ones I recognize as part of the old written language of Hoenn. There are three of them. Two, one red and one blue, and a third, yellow one, above them. I know I've seen them before, but I'm not sure what they mean.

The book has an interesting look to it. I've always had an affinity for old books, probably because of the entire room of them that my father spent his spare time in. I crack the book open, and find the title on the first inside page.

**_History in Mythos_**

_A compendium of tales_

Flipping through the pages, I see the names of many stories, but none of them catch my eye. "The Legend of the Musketeer Trio", "The two towers of Johto", and a few other stories pass by my eyes before I see one that sounds interesting. "The Gods of Earth, Sea and Sky: The tale of Hoenn's formation." This is a tale I know very well, but I decide to read anyway.

The tale is of two great titans, Groudon and Kyogre. When there was still little land among the great seas of the old world, a great titan of earth was born. Groudon. He was first born underground, in a cave of molten lava. He created a surge of power great enough to send an enormous fountain of lava that burst out of the sea. Eventually, this became Mt. Pyre, and formed a large land mass around it. Groudon aspired to raise the earth up, out of the water. He began to do so, but was stopped by Kyogre, lord of the sea. The two fought relentlessly for an age, and their battlefield was the land that eventually would become Hoenn, the land created by Groudon's arrival on the surface. In the end, a third great being had to intervene. Rayquaza, a great dragon that claimed dominion in the sky, broke up the fight, and sent the two other titans to a deep sleep underground. Two orbs were brought into existence that could one day reawaken the titans.

The orbs were always the part of the tale that interested me the most. How did they come into being? Did Rayquaza make them? Or were they created by some outside force? Were they meant to be keys to reawakening the beasts, or were they the locks that had to be broken to fully bring the beings back? Every iteration of the story seems to disagree with the next.

The night is still dark, and even with the flashlight it hurts my eyes to read, so I set the book down. The darkness stretches wide like an open mouth, fangs bared. I shine the light across the ground below me. Even with the beacon of light illuminating bits of the sidewalk, the darkness is still there, suffocating on all sides. If anything, it seems even darker around the small shining light.

The night behaves much like the cave wall.

I shut off the light, letting darkness swallow me whole. I don't mind it. There's no concept of what's where, save for the stars and the moon up in the sky. There's no definition of where the roof of the shipyard building ends and the ground below begins. There's no definition of where Keith is, or where Tess is. They could still be asleep, or they might be awake. You'd never know. There's no sense of direction in the dark. Every path leads to more darkness. Well, every way but up.

After a long time, the stars begin to fade. The first hints of vague, nonspecific light crest the horizon. I've been in a sort of half-awake state, mindlessly performing the same sweep of the surrounding area over and over for the last few hours. It takes me a minute or two to realize dawn is approaching. Time to wake up my companions.

It's still dark enough that I need the flashlight to clearly see them. Tess is curled up in a ball, and Keith is sprawled out on the floor, having tossed and turned his way out of his sleeping bag at some point. I'm not really sure how to wake them, so I just stand there.

I sit down in front of Tess. How do I do this? Do I speak? Touch her? Shine the flashlight in her face? Well, probably not that last one. I don't want to startle her, but I'm not really sure what will or won't do that.

Eventually, I reach out my hand and touch her face. My heart is racing, but I push through the nerves, trying to tell myself it should be easy. My hand rests on her cheek. Her skin is soft. Warm. Good. She murmurs in her sleep, but doesn't open her eyes. I don't want to take my hand off her.

But I do. The desire to keep my hand on her scares me away. Human contact is one of those things I never really understood, because of all the stupid feelings that come with it. But when I pull away, she opens her eyes. Slowly, groggily. Her eyes are brown like chocolate, with little bits of goldish-yellow.

We just look at each other for a minute. I feel my face redden, and I kind of want to look away, but I don't. I can't escape her eyes. It's like we're interlocked, in some sort of unbreakable bond.

Then she blinks, and seems to snap out of it. She gives me a half-smile, and sits up.

"Hey. Time to go?" I can't find any words in my mouth at the moment, so I just nod. She yawns a long yawn, and wriggles out of her sleeping bag. Still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

"I'm gonna go inside and change," She tells me, picking up her backpack. "Wake Keith."

The thought of her changing sticks in my mind far more than I would like it to. I feel my face get bright red as I watch her disappear behind the door leading back inside the building. What was I supposed to be doing again?

"G'mornin," the half-asleep mumble behind me breaks the hot mess brewing about in my brain. I swivel around to find Keith stretching.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Well yeah, that's the idea. Time to get going." He finds his sweater and glasses on the ground, giving them a dusting-off before putting them on.

"You're not changing?"

"Nah. Not dirty yet. I can take a little dust." He gives me a grin, and looks up to the sky. "Yo, Vladmir!"

After a moment, his Crobat emerges, swooping up from below. I had forgotten about my watch companion. Even it looks tired as it returns to the ball in Keith's hand.

"How was the watch? See anything cool?" I shrug. I toned out my surroundings in the dark after about an hour, so as far as I know there wasn't anything interesting TO see. I have something more important on my mind.

"So where are we going?" Keith shrugs.

"I guess north, for a start. That's the only way out of town. After that, we can just make up our mind from there." He looks at me. It looks like he's studying me, and I don't think I like it.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?"

The question catches me off-guard. There is an answer, but I don't want to tell him yet. Nothing stays secret forever, but I don't have to tell him yet. So I lie.

"Not really. Like you said, north sounds good." Something else nags at me. "Somewhere I can train."

"With Garnett?" Keith has a weird look on his face, like he's trying to suppress something. But I think it's pride that he's trying to keep down, like he thinks I owe my desire to train to him.

"Well, I'm glad I know where we should go, or else we'd just be wandering around in circles forever!" Tess' voice cuts through the conversation like a knife, as she reappears from inside. She looks mostly the same as when she entered the building - same hat(turned forward today), same sweater - save for a pair of faded jeans.

"Where are you thinking?" Keith asks. Tess grins as she walks over to us. There's a spring in her step.

"An old cave. Just chasing some more ghosts, I guess, but it's an old hangout of Michael's and mine. It's just a little ways north, not far off the bike path."

"Well, someone's a little excited." Keith says with a smirk. Tess frowns a little, and Keith quickly continues. "Sure, let's go to your cave! Sound good, Jacob?"

I simply nod. I'm ready to go. I feel strange, like someone has injected me with energy, and something more…joy? I've been basically happy before, and this doesn't feel quite the same. No, this is something else. And maybe it's from the moment with Tess, or maybe it's just from being awake with nothing to do for hours, but it's still there. It's excitement. For the first time I can remember, I feel truly excited.

"Well then, since we're all agreed," Keith says, "I suppose we'd better get a move on, before Slateport wakes up."

He's right. It's still barely light out, but there are the sounds of footsteps in the distance. Time to go to work.


	20. Chapter 18: Valley of Symbols

**Chapter 18**

**Valley of Symbols**

**Toby**

I'm an only child. I've never really felt like anyone's "big brother". I was always just my dad's son and student, and didn't really have anyone else to call family. I don't know how I would act with a sibling. I used to wonder what it would be like. I like to think we would get along, but I don't really know, of course.

All that said, what Damian's doing is wrong. There's no way past it. Ariana disappears into the woods, her Vulpix scrambling to keep up. And Damian just watches. His eyes are cold. He's already forsaken her. He's not the person I met yesterday on the boat. Neither of them are.

It's wrong. Of course he's upset that he's been lied to, but he's abandoning his little sister. I don't care if she's 12, or 2, or 22, he shouldn't be doing this. Nobody should be going it alone out there. Last night, he didn't sleep. We were in the same tent together, and he just sat there until I fell asleep. At first he was crying, clearly still angry, but then he calmed down and just stared into space. When I woke up, he was still there. In the same spot. The only difference was the size of the hollow shadows under his eyes.

One would think that after that long night, he would have come to terms with what his sister had done. But he hadn't. He had just resigned himself to abandoning her. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. He just went about his morning. He was issued a Pokemon - I didn't see what kind - and went off with it for a while.

And now, here we are. He's decided that, for whatever reason, he would be better off staying here and letting his sister leave than follow her and talk to her. He simply turns away, walking back towards his side of the line. It's like he spent the night crying out any feeling that was left in him, and now he has no emotion left.

I don't try to talk to him, though. I think he's still angry at me for what happened yesterday, even if it did save his life. If I hadn't brought Ariana to the cliffs, the truth would have stayed hidden. He could have come back to his sister in blissful ignorance of what had happened. But things seldom go the way you would like them to, especially when you don't realize there's an alternative. That alternative always finds a way to sneak in and become reality.

So what happens now? Ariana is gone, and Damian is receding back into the crowd. I'm still going out as an explorer, and it would have been nice to have another guy watching my back. Unfortunately, I walked right into a pit of drama and deceit. Damian is, at least for now, broken. And I'm not going to fix him. I know what it's like to be broken - I was that way for over a year after my father died - and I know it's a kind of break that he'll have to fix by himself. For now, he's a lost cause.

But Ariana might not be.

"Damian!" I shout as loud as I can, moving quickly through the crowd. I see him, stopped and looking back at me.

"What?"

"What's your last name?" Understandably, he gives me a confused look.

"…Why?"

"Just tell me." He continues to stare at me, then shakes his head.

"Rookwood. Damian Rookwood. Why?" I just grin at him. Rookwood it is, then. I turn and hurry back to my crowd.

The PFH guys are calling out people by their last name, alphabetically. Rookwood comes before Rye. There's an anxious moment where I'm afraid Damian will come find me and ask why I needed to know his last name. But he doesn't.

"Rookwood? Ariana Rookwood." I hear the man call her name, and I step forward.

"She's with me. We're traveling together. My name's Tobias Rye?" As soon as I say it, I start getting even more worried. He'll have records that Ariana is traveling with her brother, who I clearly am not. There will be a lot of questions...

...but there aren't. He checks something off on a clipboard, reaches into a bag hooked around his wrist, and pulls out two small, green devices. He hands them to me.

"These are your Pokenavs. They've been modified so you can keep us updated with your whereabouts and findings. Make sure she gets hers, too." And then he's on his way. I can't believe how easy that was.

Now to find her.

Route 121 lies before me. The crowds in Lilycove have dispersed, and lots of other trainers are around. For a moment, it's almost as if civilization had never left.

But I know that's not how it is. The proof of that is strewn all around. The route lies in ruin. The path is ripped up, as if a huge set of claws had slashed them. Huge, clawed footprints dot a path running through the road and into the forest. Old fences lie rusted and twisted. The woods surrounding the path rustle with the sounds of wary Pokemon. For many of them, this must be their first time seeing humans. I'd be confused, too.

Trainers are starting battles around me. I suppose I'll find some to challenge eventually, but I want to find Ariana first, before she gets too far. She went north...

Looking north, there's a caved-in building. Chipped, faded paint reveals an old logo, but I can't make it out. The ceiling debris fill up the inside of the building, making entry impossible.

Making my way around the building, I find a huge clearing on the other end. Bordered by such thick woods that you couldn't even notice it from outside, I stand at the edge of a huge valley. The grass sways in the cold breeze, and the land dips down a great distance before rising in a series of rocky bluffs. Pokemon wander freely through the grass. I spot Girafarig, Zigzagoon, and a couple kinds I don't know. The whole view is beautiful, I can't help but notice how liveable the place looks. Again, it's like the disaster never happened.

What's strange about this place is in the structures littered about. I can't tell what they are from here, but they look like small stone statues. They don't look upright. In addition, at the head of the rocky bluffs is a huge outcropping of earth. It's not a mountain or a cliff. It's shape resembles that of a Zubat's wing, raised at a tilt and fanning out. I'm not sure how it stays upright, but it stands steady on the horizon. It's kind of majestic to look at, but strange. I guess a lot of strange things have happened here.

Letting Checkers out in case the Pokemon are hostile, I make my way down into the valley. The statues are, indeed, all tipped over. They're about half my height, made of a dark gray stone. They look like small-scale people, but without faces. The gray of the stone is contrasted with bright red markings and patterns. The style is very familiar. I know I've seen similar markings on old artifacts and religious items from Hoenn. It's a web of lines, all connecting to a circle on the statues' heads. Each one is the same.

There are loud rustling sounds behind me. I turn around, and...oh dear.

I'm surrounded by a group of Herracross. Large, with shiny, dark blue shells, their horns gleaming sharply in the daylight. They move slowly towards me, and I doubt they're a welcoming committee. Slowly, I back up to where Checkers still has his attention fixed on the statues, and pick him up. I make sure my motions are slow and deliberate, so they know I'm not trying to harm them. But somehow, I don't think they're too concerned with my plans. One of them, the one with the largest horn in the pack, lets loose a cry, and charges.

Pokemon battles are a lot like playing cards. Sometimes you can plan around the hand you're dealt, but other times you have to improvise. Right now, I'm going to have to improvise. I'm standing directly in front of a statue. So, without turning away from the oncoming bug, I hop backwards onto it, catch myself, and push off the statue, leaping forward and over the Herracross. Its horn is lowered to skewer me enough that my feet don't even touch it. I land on my side in the grass, rolling and cradling Checkers tightly. I stand up, holding him out in front of me like the world's silliest gun.

"Thunder wave! As wide as you can!" Checkers releases twin waves of electricity from his antennae, hitting most of the startled Herracross. Without taking the time to count the number shocked, I make a run north. There are clusters of trees there closer than those back up the hill behind me, so I stand a better chance of them losing me.

I hear enough scuttling footsteps behind me to know that there's more than one of the Pokemon still chasing me. They're fast, but their limbs are stubby. Luckily, I'm a pretty tall guy with strong legs, so hopefully I can outrun them. The trees shadow me as I start weaving my way through them. I hear one body thud against a tree trunk, but at a guess, it sounds like I still have two pursuers.

Suddenly, I've hit a wall. Quite literally. I stop suddenly, as in front of me looms a large pillar of dirt and rock. I don't really have a chance to think about how it got there. Turning around, the two remaining Herracross stand, hunched low, horns ready to strike. There's no time to think. The big-horned one makes a low clicking sound, which sounds almost like a growl. There's no time...

Suddenly, I hear a loud bark from above me. Craning my neck, I see something small, fuzzy and orange above me. Barking high and squeaky, but loud. No, not barking. Roaring. In front of me, the Herracross cower. Their new foe is small, but the sound is loud enough to discourage them. The smaller one scampers off. The big-horned one glares at me, then the thing above me on the pillar, then turns to follow.

"Hey."

The voice is relieving to hear. It belongs to the person I've been looking for. I turn to see Ariana standing on top of the pillar. In front of her stands the Vulpix I helped her catch, looking very proud of itself. Ariana looks more surprised than anything.

"Is he with you?"

"Nope. Just me." She doesn't speak for a minute, looking back in the direction I came from.

"Come up here. It's safer. It dips down at the other end." Making a half-circle around the pillar, I find that it is indeed sloped downward at the back. It's steep, but I make my way up. Ariana watches me carefully.

"Listen-"

"No, you listen." Her voice is sharp. Cold.

"I know you and my brother agreed to travel together, but that doesn't have anything to do with me. My business, and Damians, don't have to be yours."

"Do you really want to go it alone?"

"What choice do I have?" Her voice breaks a little, but she doesn't cry. She's too strong for that.

"What about me?"

"What ABOUT you?!" She's angry. Still at Damian, but it's bleeding through.

"Look, why Damian did what he did isn't my concern, you're right. But I still don't want to travel alone. And I can't believe you do, either. The agreement we made on the boat wasn't just between Damian and I. It was between all three of us. Damian cared about your opinion, and so did I." She's looking at the ground, staring intently through it. She's listening.

"...Can I trust you?"

"This again? I thought you had already decided you could."

"Damian did. I never really made up my mind." I see a little bit of where she's coming from. Paranoia. She's so used to distrusting people, that now she's almost out of people to trust, and doesn't know what to do with the one she has left.

"...but I guess you're right. Besides," she says, bending down to pet her Vulpix. "I guess I owe you for Lily."

We climb down the strange pillar. She say she doesn't know how it got there either, she just found it after she ran away from Damian.

I give her her Pokenav as we exit the glade. She toys around with it for a while in silence.

"There's a map on here. Satellite, I guess."

"Good to know. So, where are we?"

"Right now," she says, lowering the device to look around us. "We're in what used to be the Safari Zone."

"So do the statues lying around have something to do with the Safari Zone?" Ariana looks around, surprised, as if seeing the statues for the first time.

"...Hm. I didn't even notice them before. But, now that you mention it...I don't think so. My family came here a few times, and the only man-made things in here were the PokeBlock stations. These...I guess they must have been put here after the disaster started."

After the disaster...but wouldn't that mean there were people here during the disaster? The evacuation took a while, but I can't imagine anyone would be here long enough to place all of these without getting killed.

"Let's look around here some more." She beats me to the punch.

"Sounds good."

Going northeast through the safari zone, we tread a wide hill leading up to the rocky bluffs. There are a few spider-web cracks in the rock, but everything looks fairly preserved. As if the disaster had never even happened. Except for the statues and the enormous spire of rock on the horizon, this place is practically a sanctuary.

"Toby." Ariana stands a little ways away from me, looking west. She points, and I see it too. Three more statues, the only ones so far that are still standing. In front of them, there's something in the grass.

We make our way to it slowly, softly. There's nobody else around, but I'm still a little paranoid that the Herracross could return. If their territory was only in the south part of the Safari Zone, then we might be safe. But even so, who knows what else is around. That pillar of earth was strange as well, and the statues are starting to creep me out too. Who could have made them? And why?

Getting closer to the three standing statues, I see that what's in the grass...isn't exactly _in _the grass. It's a series of lines burned into the ground. Wide and thick. They look like they've been there for a long time, but no new grass has grown. The ground is dark gray and solid, carrying smaller lines that look painted on. They shine a dull red in the sunlight, which swindles behind the edge of a storm cloud.

It's a familiar shape. It's the same style as the designs on the statues, but this one I recognize. It's a large circle with three lines protruding from it. Two angles, one straight. It looks like a giant, red "M" burned into the grass.

"Groudon." Ariana stares at the symbol, not in awe or confusion, but as if looking at an old friend.

"Who?"

"You don't know the old tale of Hoenn's creation?" Ariana scoffs.

"Hey, I recognize the symbol, I just don't really know what it means. My dad and I traveled a lot. It's not my fault I never got to lear-"

"Okay, okay. Don't get defensive." She gives me a smirk, then turns back to the symbol.

"Groudon and Kyogre were two great Pokemon that ruled the land and sea long ago. The two were locked in an endless battle for supremacy. There are different versions of the story, but what my grandparents always told me was that Groudon was born from Mt. Pyre, and Kyogre was born from what became Sootopolis City. The two fought with spears of earth and tidal waves form the sea, and their battle eventually created Hoenn."

"So what does that have to do with this symbol?"

"It's part of the old language of Hoenn. Hoenn's first written language is supposedly based off patterns and symbols on the bodies of Groudon and Kyogre. The legends say that when the two were at their highest power, the symbols would glow brighter than the sun, burning like fire. I guess the entire language was formed from those symbols. Anyway, this is the symbol for Groudon," she walks a slow circuit around it.

"And if you look at it upside-down..." She stops in front of the statues, facing me and the symbol.

"You get the symbol for fire."

This is starting to scare me. I don't know why. Maybe it's the statues, and maybe it's the symbol in the grass, and maybe it's the pillar in the glade, and maybe it's the huge spire of earth looming over us. But I feel exposed. Weak. And for all the world, I feel like somebody's watching us.

**You can read each new chapter two weeks early over at pokemonpodcast. com. Two whole weeks! Isn't that CRAZY?! You can read the next chapter RIGHT NOW! WHOA!**

**Shattered Gemstones (c) Jay Petrequin and Pokemonpodcast. com, 2012**


	21. Chapter 19: Escape at Daybreak

**Chapter 19**

**Escape at Daybreak**

_The Whisperer and her ghost wander the streets in the night. They walk without footsteps, observing the invaders. But The Whisperer remembers when they were not invaders. This was their home once. And before that, it belonged only to the Pokemon. And before that, it belonged to Groudon and Kyogre. Before that, it belonged to nobody at all._

_She walks to the graveyard of boats. Her ghost is uneasy. Above her, atop the building, there are people. Three. She does not see them, but hears the whispers. The voices of their presence. She does not reply. _

_Dawn approaches. The Whisperer moves like the wind, quickly, through the town. North. Somewhere to observe, unseen, for a while. As her ally wishes it to be. Watch the new invaders, and guard against the children of blue fire._

**Kieth**

The shipyard is dark. As we leave the building, I hear Tess whisper something somberly, looking back at the great building.

"Goodbye, old girl."

I don't really get the attachment to the place, but this isn't the time to question it. As we approach the main street, I hold up a hand and stop walking.

"Hear that?"

There are footprints, and faint voices, from up north, near the boat. People are already awake.

"We're going to have to take the long way. Let's keep following this road, then find another one-" I'm cut off by Tess, who jogs ahead of me.

"I know the way! Come on, follow me!" Jacob follows her, continuing down the west road. I'd rather be the one in charge, but there's no time to argue. I follow.

Tess leads us down a series of side streets that look like a warzone. It looks like the edges of a shopping district, but nobody has been going shopping here in a long time. Broken windows, display manequins and products strewn on the pavement. The buildings look hollowed out and dusty, as if someone scooped out their contents and just left the husks there for dead. I can see Tess looking around her in horror as she moves on, but she doesn't slow down. She wants to see everything, and get away from it as fast as she can.

We stop at another intersection with what looks like a sort of second main street. Across from us is what looks like an old festival ground of some kind.

"Oh..." Tess speaks quietly, walking forward. "The old market..."

"Tess, we don't have time." I walk up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turns to look at me sadly.

"I know...but we should come back some time." Her eyes grow wistful. There's no time to be sentimental right now. I grab her hand and Jacobs, and run. She protests, but I don't let go. I just run, and they have no choice but to follow.

We stop at the north end of town, and I let go of my companions. Tess is muttering something about me being rough, but I don't listen. I'm distracted by what lies before me.

The Ryujin, the boat that brought us here, is broken in two. Cut clean down the middle. There is no sign of an explosion, no wreckage or even evidence of a struggle. It looks as though a huge blade came down and cut the thing. One half of the boat is leaning on the old harbor building, and the other is on its side, half-sunk in the water. Some PFH men are standing nearby on the shore, talking amongst themselves.

"What happened here...?" Tess steps up beside me, looking at the wreckage. "Could it have been wild Pokemon?"

"I don't think something wild would have been this precise." I really want to go take a closer look, but we can't, of course. Not with Jacob here.

"I don't like this." Jacob says, speaking up for the first time since we left. "Let's just go."

Surveying our surroundings, the only clear way out of town is the road. The woods are still fenced off, and from here you can see a mountain of fallen trees and branches. It would be not only hard to maneuver, but easy to get lost. We'll have to take the road, where there are already two PFH men patrolling. That means I'll have to play decoy again.

"Right, listen. We'll start walking towards the road, see if we can get by without being noticed. If they notice us, I'll distract them and you guys make a run for it. Tess, where can we meet up outside town?"

"Um, the bike path would work. But-"

"Okay, the bike path it is. Let's go!" I start walking, trying to ignore the indignant look Tess flashes me. I don't know what her problem is, but we'll have to sort it out later.

We walk quietly and quickly. The guards aren't paying close attention, and I'm sure we'll make it. We've got to. Of course we will.

"Hey! Stop!"

Welp.

We turn to look at the two of them. It's a man and a woman, followed by a resolutely trotting Growlithe. At least it's not the two from yesterday, and I might be able to talk our way out of it, but I reach into my pocket anyway, cradling all three poke balls in my hand.

"You guys are up early," The woman says. She's more friendly than threatening, but her companion glares at us stonily.

"Yeah, we wanted to get a head start." I give her the most convincing grin I can. She gives me a nod.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer. After the boat incident yesterday, we're still making sure the area is safe. You'll have to wait until midday to leave Slateport." Well, there goes talking our way out of it. I take my hand out of my pocket, and glance at Tess and Jacob to make sure they're ready to run. Jacob gives me a small nod, but Tess just keeps her eyes fixed on the PFH people.

"Well that's too bad," I say with a grin. "We're so excited we can't help but make a head start. We can't walk, we're so pumped we've got to RUN!" I throw all three poke balls in the air. Maizy lands in front of the woman, and Faust, a tall, lanky Sableye, in front of the man. Vladmir hovers behind them, casting a great shadow over us all. The Growlithe starts barking at him like crazy.

Jacob starts running as soon as I say the word, but Tess hangs back. I raise my eyebrows at her, and she just returns the glance. She's holding her poke balls in her hand.

"What are you doing? Go!"

"Don't be stupid, I'm fighting with you."

"Are you kidding? I've got this." We're wasting time. I hear the woman give her Growlithe an order. It launches a fire attack at Maizy, who dodges it nimbly.

"Just go! Protect Jacob!" She gives me a glare, and shakes her head. She mutters something under her breath, and then, mercifully, she turns and runs, following Jacob up the road. Now I can concentrate on these clowns. Faust has already stepped in and is dealing blows with the Growlithe. The man whispers something in the woman's ear.

"Are you sure?!" She gives him a look. He nods.

"Crap. Then go after him, idiot!" He nods, and breaks into a sprint, in the same direction as Tess and Jacob. There's nothing I can do, either. As I turn to watch him go, I hear the sound of two more poke balls opening. I turn to see that I'm now evenly matched; the battered, scrappy Growlithe is now joined by a Machoke and a Graveller. Things are about to get messy.

**Tess**

I'm not too bossy of a person. I don't like being ordered around too much, but I can tolerate it as long as I know why. Kieth isn't giving us time to ask why, and it's starting to really piss me off.

Unfortunately, the sound of fast-approaching footsteps me I can't worry about that right now. I turn, and see one of the PFH people – the big, burly guy – fast approaching. Damn it.

"Jacob!" I call over my shoulder, stopping to face our pursuer. He stops too, pulling our two poke balls. Jacob runs up behind me.

"Jacob Mondego," the man speaks gruffly, slowing to a menacing walk, "as you may know, the PFH has been ordered to take you in for questioning, regarding the attack on the boat yesterday."

"What?!" I look at Jacob. There's no way he could have done that to the boat...is there? But as I think about it more, his Aron has some really strange powers...but no. There's no way. We know his dad wants him found for some other reason...at least, that's what he told us.

Either way, there's no time to consider disturst. If he gets taken in, Kieth and I will be in trouble too. We'll have to fight this guy off.

"He isn't going anywhere with you." I tell him, releasing Charybdis.

"Jacob, send out your Aron. Help me out here." He looks at me, almost as if he doesn't understand what I'm saying.

"Are you sure...? What if something happens like yesterday?" I feel for him. He still doesn't know the full extent of what his Pokemon can do, and he's probably a little scared to find out.

"That's what I'm hoping for, bud. The more explosions the better!" I give him a grin, and after a moment, he returns it. In a flash, his Pokemon stands next to mine.

"So that's how it is, huh..." The PFH guy smirks at us. "If you kids think you're some kind of threat, think again. We're authorized to take Jacob in by force, if necessary. And I think," he glares into my eyes, "we may have to take you in as well." He throws his poke balls, releasing a Medetite and a Magneton. Not a great matchup for us, but I think we can take it.

"Meditite, take out the Aron. Magneton, thunderbolt the Horsea." The meditite runs towards Garnett as the Magneton spins its magnets, readying an attack. Suprisingly, Jacob steps in before I can give my orders.

"No you don't. Garnett, mud-slap that Magneton!" Garnett instinctively knows what to do where to go, attacking before Jacob even finishes giving the order. It leaps out of the way of the Magneton, pounding the ground with its feet as it lands, sending a surge of mud and dirt flying into the Magneton. The force is enough to knock it down, but its magnets are still spinning. Time to step in.

"Char, smokescreen the hell out of the Magneton!" Charybdis moves on my word, spreading a thick cloud of black around the Magneton. From within the cloud, it makes a sound, and blasts a lightning bolt that misses Charybdis by a good 10 feet.

"Meditite, get that Aron!" The Meditite takes advantage of our distraction with the Magneton, and lands a heavy blow on Garnett. The Aron stumbles, falling onto its back. Its armor is dented, but it flips itself over, standing upright.

"The Magneton'll be distracted for a minute, Char. Focus on Meditite!" But Charybdis already knows. Balancing on his tail, he sends a rocket-spray blast of water at Meditite. It's like a Water Gun, but with a much wider spread.

Brine. It's a move called Brine. I recall it instantly, but I don't know how. Maybe knowing the new moves my Pokemon learn is part of the bond Kieth was talking about. I'm starting to forge that bond that only trainers and their Pokemon can. Now that I think of it, Jacob and Garnett seem to have that bond already. Strange that he's so nervous about fighting with his Pokemon, but they battle so well.

The brine attack is very strong, knocking the Meditite off its feet. It starts to stand up, but Garnett follows up with a strong headbutt. The Meditite struggles to get back up, but its legs give out and it falls. The man returns it with a scowl, but there's no time to celebrate. The Magneton floats upward, out of the smoke cloud.

"Now you've pissed me off," The man growls. "Flash Cannon!"

The Magneton fires a blinding flash of hot, silver light into Charybdis. My Pokemon goes flying, landing somewhere behind me, and I can already tell he's fainted. I run over to him, already panicking. He's beat up badly, but still breathing. I return him, and stand to see Jacob looking angry for the first time.

"You...you're gonna pay for that!" He screams, sounding like there's a fire brewing inside him. Garnett roars as his trainer speaks, and a cloud billows out of his mouth. A cloud of bright green smoke. It's happening again.

"Garnett, get him back for that!" The Aron's eyes begin to glow, and the man takes a few steps back.

"What the hell, kid..." He looks scared. The Aron opens it's mouth, now billowing with green smoke, and breaths in. When he exhales, he unleashes a blast of bright, green fire, engulfing the Magneton and nearly searing its trainer in the process. The fire is so bright it's blinding to look at. I close my eyes tight.

When I open my eyes, the Magneton is lying on the round. Its metal body is blackened and warped. That damage won't repair easily. Garnett is breathing heavily, its mouth and eyes flickering with green fire. The man just stares, frozen out of fear.

"What..." he screams. "What the hell are you?!" He returns his Magneton, and turns and runs back towards town. Tentatively, I walk up to Jacob, who stares at Garnett with wide eyes. I put a hand on Jacob's shoulder.

"See? The more explosions the better."

The bike path is a mess. The entry building is in shambles, but the ramp up onto the raised path is still standing. We climb up the slope, stopping at the top. Jacob's still a little shaken up, but he doesn't speak.

The view up here gives a good view of what lies ahead. The bike path is broken up, with entire chunks that have fallen into the sea. Fallen trees lean against the ramps. The winding path below doesn't look much safer. Chunks of bike path rubble obstruct the land-bridge. Luckily, that's not where we're headed. Up ahead the path splits. One way goes to the land-bridge, and the other leads to a dead-end at the river. Near the dead-end is the cave where I want to go.

"Hey." Jacob sits on the edge of the bike path. He doesn't look worried anymore.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to way...thank you." His face starts to redden. I kind of want to laugh, but I keep it in.

"Thanks for getting me to use Garnett. I know I'm a pretty good trainer, but I still don't know everything Garnett can do. It kind of scares me." I sit down next to him.

"It's cool. All you have to do is trust your Pokemon. That's what Kieth told me, and I saw it in action just now. When you trusted garnett, he landed the finishing blow." He's quiet for a moment, fidgeting with his hands.

"Do you...do you trust me?"

"That depends. Did you attack the boat?"

"No!" He looks panicked all of a sudden, like he's desperate to convince me. "It was still together when the guards started chasing me. I have no idea how that happened!"

'Okay, okay, calm down. I believe you." It's only half a lie. I want to trust him, so I'll keep telling myself I do for now. He smiles at my words, then frowns again.

"What about Kieth? You looked angry at him before..." I sigh.

"I just don't like how he started ordering us around."

"Why?"

"I guess...I guess I don't know why he has to take charge like that. He just automatically assumes we'll follow his lead. I just met him, y'know? The least he can do is talk to us before making decisions for us. Show us we can trust him.

"You don't trust him?"

"I want to, and I thought I did, but...I just don't like him bossing us around."

"You just met both of us, and you trust me. So trust him."

"That's...that's true." I'll talk to Kieth when he gets here. If I can convince myself to trust Jacob, I should be able to do the same with Kieth.

Something catches my eye, behind Jacob's head. I point, and he turns to look. Below us, there's a clearing in the woods. Burnt into the grass is a shape I recognize.

"Groudon's symbol." Jacob knows it, too. A bright red "M" shape.

"Well...that's new."

**Hey, you goof! Yeah, you reading this! What are you doing here? You should go over to PkMncast. com! Why, you ask? Because PkMncast happens to be the home of Shattered Gemstones, where you can read the next two chapters RIGHT NOW, instead of waiting for my lazy ass to post them here! You can also find our awesome Pokemon podcast and other great content, so check it out!**


	22. Chapter 20: Identity Battles

**Chapter 20**

**Identity Battles**

**Ariana**

We leave the old safari zone quickly. There's something really unsettling about the place. Toby keeps looking behind us, scared of the return of the angry Herracross.

We. Us. It's really strange to still be saying these words. Running off into the forest, I had honestly resigned myself to the fact that I was alone. It scared me all morning, but Damian managed to numb me to it. At least his words were good for something, I guess.

Now, here I am with Toby. His dark blue coat billows up behind him in the wind blowing into the valley. But he doesn't seem to mind. He strides forward, hands in his pockets, a smile on his face. He's happy to be here, with a girl he doesn't know, in a hostile place. I'm not sure what to make of him just yet.

We brush past a few trainers heading into the Safari Zone as we leave, and we return to the route to find a dispersal of trainers roaming around, some of them chatting or battling. I think of Lily, trotting loyally at my side. She's still young. I don't want her fighting any of these people just yet.

"Do you want to train?" It's as if Toby is reading my mind. He tosses his poke ball in his hand. "We could go off the beaten path a little, find some easy wild Pokemon to fight."

"Do you think Lily can handle it?" He gives me a shrug.

"What do you think?" I look down at the little Vulpix. She's very young, of course. But so am I, and I've spent enough time with Cerberus to know that the best introduction to battle is to go ahead and start fighting.

"let's do it."

We follow the path for a little while, walking among the other trainers. Their numbers thin out, as a lot of them wander into the woods. We, however, find a place much more interesting along the beaten path.

We come to the spot where the road forks. One way keeps going west, towards the Fortree forest, and the other leads down to the water. There used to be a dock here leading down to the edge of the water, towards Mt. Pyre, but the water is a lot higher now, and the dock is completely submerged. I remember hearing on the news that Mt. Pyre was flooded over and over during the disaster. Looking back north, you can see the path the water took. New trees are growing there now, but they grow amidst a path of fallen logs and branches, decomposing and broken. Seeing the path of damage like this makes it feel more real, but I still feel distanced from it. I don't know this place. If we make it to Lavaridge, though...

Lots of Pokemon roam the area, seemingly unaware of us. Poochyena and Mightyena stalk around in packs, hunting for prey. Probably too much for Lily to handle just yet. But there are some Oddish trotting about down by the water. They're small, and weak against fire. They seem like good candidates. I crouch down to look at my Vulpix.

"Are you ready, Lily?" I point over at the Oddish, and she stares at my hand, not the Pokemon. Well, she'll get the idea. I stand up, looking over at Toby. He's standing a little ways up the hill, watching us. He gives a thumbs-up. I suppress a laugh, and give him one back. Then, focusing on our prey, I run. Lily follows. We're just winging it, so I can't help but be a little apprehensive. But no time to turn back now. It's just another mission. I've graduated from Cerberus lookout duty, and now I get to enter the fray. My Pokemon is my weapon, and I know at least a little of how she works. She can do Ember and Roar. That should be enough to take some Oddish down.

"Lily, ember!" The Oddish finally take notice of us as I shout, but Lily doesn't get it. She stops in her tracks, looking up at me in confusion. _Shoot._ The Oddish are trotting up to us now, more curious than confused. This isn't turning into much of a fight. I look down at my Pokemon, looking into her eyes. I need her to learn to fight, and I'm not really sure how to get her to.

Suddenly, it's like she understands. She stares at me for a second, and then blinks. She turns her head to the Oddish, and shifts into a fighting stance. Just like that, she understood me. It's kind of eerie, but I think now I'm connected with her. We both know what's happening, and what to do.

"Ember!" I repeat, and she lets loose a burst of fire from her mouth, a couple Oddish scamper out of the way, but Lily manages to hit three of them. The leaves on one of their heads catches fire, and it starts to panic, trotting around in circles. The other two just get angry. One of them takes a deep breath, and spits a glob of something purple in Lily's face. She yelps, stepping back in surprise as she shakes it from her face. She's okay.

"That's Acid," Toby comments from the side. "Poison-type move, it can poison your Pokemon if you're not careful." Well that's good to know. I'd better take that one down before he gets another chance.

"Another Ember, Lily! Focus on the one that attacked you!" Another burst of fire hits the Oddish, and it gets knocked back a few feet. It lands on it's back, and doesn't get up. That's one down. The one with the burns on its head is getting angry now. It stomps on the ground, and its body starts to glow green. The glow envelops Lily as well, and then recedes. It looks like it's pulling something out of Lily. She flinches, but looks alright.

"Absorb," Toby chimes in again. "Not very effective on fire-types." I nod. Nothing to worry about, like I figured. Lily lets loose another burst of fire from her mouth, and the Oddish goes down. The last one looks around at its fallen comrades, hops around in panic, and runs off into the woods. We win.

It goes on like this for a couple hours. Lily keeps on fighting without getting tired. She has a lot of energy. We mostly stick to Oddish, and any other weak-looking Pokemon in the grass. I think Lily must be stronger than I gave her credit for, because nothing seems too challenging for her, despite her tiny size. Toby gives me advice when I need it. He's quick to help, and I'm glad to have it. The fighting helps keep my mind off the symbol and statues in the Safari Zone, and more importantly, Damian. I can almost forget how angry I still am. Almost.

The sun climbs high overhead. It must be past noon by now. Time for a break. Lily, breathing heavily but looking very proud of herself, trots up to me. I pet her on the head, and she gives my hand a lick.

"You hungry? I'm starving." Toby says, coming down the hill. I hadn't thought about food all day, but now I realize that yes, I am starving. I nod.

"All right. I know they have food for us back in town, but I doubt you want to go back there right now." I look away, but don't disagree. It's true, after all.

"So I'll go grab us some food, and bring it back here. Okay?" The gesture takes me by surprise. But I agree.

"Okay...thanks." I don't know why I've gotten so quiet all of a sudden. I guess I'm still not used to strangers being nice to me.

Toby leaves, leaving me alone with Lily. There are still some people around, but everything seems a lot more quiet with him gone. It leaves me alone with my thoughts again, and that's not where I want to be. A night and morning stressing over my brother is enough, so why am I still thinking about him? Detachment is a lot harder when you're not the one doing the detaching.

I sit down in the grass, and Lily lays down next to me. I take everything in for the first time, starting with the great centerpiece looming in front of me. Mt. Pyre. It wears a crown of spikes at its top, and its sides are dented. How this happened, I may never know. Unless I catch a Pokemon strong enough to fly me up there, or carry me across the water, it might as well be on another planet.

I pick up a small, flat stone off the ground. I rub my fingers on it. It's rough.

As if the drama with Damian weren't enough, there's something wrong with Hoenn. Mt. Pyre's battle scars, the statues and the symbol in the Safari Zone, the great blades of earth sticking up to the north...and it's all connected to the disaster. It has to be. But how? The statues must have been made by people, but the entire region was evacuated. At least, that's what we were told. And even if there were people who stayed, how could they have lived through five years of floods and earthquakes?

I am starting to think that all my thoughts are hostile. Thinking about Damian depresses me, thinking about my surroundings scares me...I feel like I'm starting to deconstruct. The mask I used to wear has been broken, and I really don't know what's left. I don't know who I am underneath it all, and it's starting to make me go crazy. I just want to set things back to how they were, before we came here, before the disaster and Cerberus...back when life was simple. I used to be a happy little girl. Now I'm a paranoid adult in a child's body.

I hurl the stone into the water. It makes a tiny, barely audible _splash! _as it lands.

Maybe it's the energy from battling, but I'm angry. At Damian, and at myself. I should have told him what I was doing. I know he wouldn't have liked it, but if I had just told him that there was nothing he could do, then maybe things would have been different. Maybe not, though.

Lily shuffles over to me in the grass, putting her little head in my lap. I pet her for a while. At least she likes me. I have a Pokemon, and a friend. Toby means well, and I think I do trust him after all. He was determined to find me when I ran off, when my own brother wasn't. He gave me advice while I trained with Lily for the first time. He's a good person, and he seems to be doing it of his own free will. He's just someone who likes doing things for people. The only other person like that I've known is...

"Hello again." I whip around to see a girl standing over me. Millie.

"Hi!" I don't really know what else to say.

"Are you by yourself?"

"Kind of...I have a...friend...who's getting food for us." Millie nods. She looks very excited. What is she doing here?

"I ran away."

"Um," Well that answers that.

"From my sister and her friends. They were ignoring me and being really awful, so I decided I didn't need them. So I decided to leave on my own." Either she's kidding, or she's crazy.

"They'll be worried about you..."

"So what? Where's your brother, huh?" Ouch.

"...fair enough." We're quiet for a while. What does she want?

"So..." She looks down, shuffling her feet. "I was wondering...you're the only other person out here who I've really talked to, and...I know we don't know each other very well, but do you think I could travel with you for a while?"

I blink.

"Just for a while! I really want to get to Fortree, and once we're there I'll leave if you want." I stand.

"It's not just up to me, Millie...I'd have to ask Toby."

"Your friend? Is he nice?"

"Yeah, he is, but-"

"Then I'm sure he'll say yes!" She grins at me. I can't believe what I'm hearing. This girl abandoned her sister to travel with someone she doesn't know, and is willing to blindly trust her-

oh.

"...you're mad at me, aren't you?" Millie looks like she's about to cry. She's very emotional.

"No, no...I just realized we're a lot alike." I can't help but laugh. Seeing someone else in the same circumstances as I am makes the whole situation seem completely ridiculous. But it's also comforting, in a weird way. If I can help Millie, maybe I can help myself, too.

And this is the part where Toby returns, panting heavily. He bursts out of the trees, yelling at me to get ready to run. Behind him comes a Herracross with a huge horn. The same one that chased him earlier today. Millie screams, backing out of the way. But my first instinct is to fight.

"Lily, stop it!" There it is again, that connection. This time, I didn't even tell her what move to use, but she takes action. But not in a way I expected.

She stands, fixing her eyes on the Herracross. Time seems to slow down for a moment as Toby stops running to stare at me in confusion, and the Pokemon chasing him speeds up in response. What happens next is something I can't accurately describe in words. It's as if the space around Lily distorts for a moment, spinning like a wheel. Then the same occurs around the Herracross' body. It stops in its tracks, and Millie, Toby and I all watch in amazement as its large, blue body is lifted off the ground. It twists and struggles for a moment, then its body shakes, as if it's been hit by a mighty punch. It drops to the ground, and the distortion stops. Toby raises his eyebrows.

"Extrasensory. Now that's a surprise." There's no time to think about what just happened. Toby takes something out of his pocket – a poke ball. It's blue, with a net pattern on it. He looks over at me.

"Hit it with one more attack. Something lighter. I want to catch it." I nod, and Lily fires an ember at the big, blue bug. It misses, and the Pokemon sprints into a charge at Lily and I. I hurriedly pick up Lily, and leap out of the way.

"Twinleaf! Use Ariel Ace!" Out of nowhere, a gray bird Pokemon – a Staravia – dives out of the sky, striking the Herracross hard. It recoils, falling onto one knee. Toby and I both look over at Millie, who just gives us an excited grin.

Toby throws his poke ball, and the bug is wrapped in a net of red, flickering light. The sphere falls to the ground, twitching once...twice...and a third time. Then, it is still. Toby whoops.

"I seriously thought he was gonna kill me. I was on my way back from getting us lunch, and he just charged me out of nowhere! The guy holds grudges." Hearing this, I'm not sure why Toby would want such a Pokemon. To each their own, I guess. Toby turns to Millie.

"I guess I owe you!" He gives her a raised eyebrow, and she smiles in return.

"Don't worry about it! My name's Millie. I'm Ariana's friend."

Millie surprised me with her Pokemon. Lily surprised us all with her attack. I guess I'm not the only one who isn't what they appear to be. It feels like we're all a little bit the same. I'm really not alone. Not anymore.

My friend, huh? I guess you are, Millie. And Toby, too. I guess you are.

**This fic is published first on Pokemonpodcast. com! You can go there to read the next chapter RIGHT NOW! And the one after THAT comes out there next week!**


	23. Chapter 21: The Cave

**Chapter 21**

**The Cave**

**Tess**

When Keith returns, he looks very proud of himself. He stops at the battlefield, observing the burnt grass from Garnett's final assault. He grins, looking up at the bike path. His glasses glint in the sun. I give him a wave, and he ascends the ramp.

"Garnett have another accident?"

"He won the battle for us." My voice is defensive. I'm still a little angry at him, and I don't want him taking Jacob down. But he just nods.

"I figured. I saw the PFH guy running away from you, yelling something about a demon." A demon? That's pretty funny. I glance over at Jacob, leaning on the edge of the rail, and he smiles a little at the words.

"So, this is a bike path? Not exactly what I was expecting..." Keith crosses his arms, looking skeptically around us.

"They wanted to make a more convenient route for people, but the Pokemon Breeders up in Verdanturf formed a really persistent nature conservation organization. They protested a road being built, which was what the local government wanted, so they compromised and made this thing." I was only 4 or 5 when the bike path was built, but I remember wanting to go see it being built whenever we left town. It was so big and strange to me back then. I guess I memorized the details of its construction.

"Well," Keith claps his hands. Clearly, he is ready to start leading again. "Ready to find your cave?" I am. And so we go.

Walking the ground path gives a more up-close-and-personal view of the wreckage. Fallen chunks of concrete jab into the ground here and there, not to mention the fallen trees. The original path has been replaced by a crazy, winding thing, leading us all around. All through it, Keith walks a little bit ahead of us. I try to take Jacob's advice and trust him. Right now, I just care about getting to the cave.

We've been carefully picking our way through the debris for about 10 minutes when Jacob draws close to me.

"Have you noticed?"

"What?"

"Look around you." I do. There's trees, fallen and broken on top of each other. And there's the bike path, and the river running under it. But that can't be what Jacob's trying to tell me, because there's something else strange about the place. Something I can't put my finger on.

"No wild Pokemon. Not one."

Now that I notice, he's right. When I lived here, my parents would never let me come out here alone because of how many wild Pokemon roamed the grass and woods here. Walking the path or looking down from above, you would see Zigzagoon and Linoone running swiftly through the trees, and Oddish and Gloom roaming the land bridge. Packs of Electrike could be found living in shady areas at the waters' edge. If you stopped to listen, you could always hear the sound of a Manectric howl, or a Volbeat buzzing through the trees.

But now it's silent. No buzz, no howl. No Gloom blending in with the common weeds, nor Roselia with the flowers. The rivers' edge is devoid of the patter of Electrike paws in the grass. The only sound is of our footsteps. Now that I'm aware of it, it's jarring. I'm not sure how I didn't notice it before.

"Maybe the disaster killed them all off?" I hate to say it, but it makes sense. The conditions were bad here for a long time. Long enough to weed out a lot of life.

"Pokemon are more stubborn than that." Kieth says, stopping ahead of us. "They're strong creatures with extraordinary powers. They can find ways to survive."

"But if the earthquakes continued for long enough...and the water rose high enough..."

"No," Jacob cuts me off. "He's right. Which means the wild Pokemon here were driven out."

"Oh..." The symbol burnt into the ground in the woods. Could whoever put that there have been behind this?

"Oh?" Kieth cuts in. "What's 'oh?'" We tell him about the symbol. He nods, as if he understands what this means. He doesn't.

"I don't know how it's related to the disappearance of Pokemon, though." I say. "I mean, they were probably just scared of the earthquakes and ran." Keith gives me a look, eyebrows raised.

"Where to? It was the same everywhere. If that mark was there, it could mean..."

"...That there were people here during the disaster." Jacob finishes the thought. I shudder.

"Let's just keep going. We can figure out the mysterious stuff later." I start walking, not waiting for Keith or Jacob to catch up. It's my turn to call the shots.

At the fork in the road, there sits a pile of broken, overgrown rubble. It used to be a place called the Trick House. My parents always told me never to go there, and I was happy to oblige. The creepy old man who lived here would set up mazes and puzzles in the house, and advertised it as a business. Now, though, the walls are caved in, and the roof is covered with vines.

Taking the left fork, we come upon another road covered in fallen trees. The woods dip down a slope to our left, contrasting with a mountain to our right. There's an elevated glade up on the hill. But that's not where we're going.

The river at the end of the road is still there. Michael and I played here as kids. The river didn't have a name, so we affectionately called it "No-Name River". And, mercifully, it looks the same now as it did then. At least some things haven't changed.

And there is the cave. Right at the corner where the mountainside meets the river. My heart starts pounding in my chest. Even though I told myself that the shipyard was the last part of my past I would let myself see, I felt drawn here. After all this time away, I guess I'm still attached to my real home.

Kieth follows me into the cave. Jacob hangs back, muttering something about a dream he had about caves. The cave mouth is small enough that Kieth and I have to crouch down in order to squeeze our way through.

It's dark. I root around in my bag, finding my flashlight. Turning it on, I illuminate a place made less of memories and more of nightmares.

The cave is about the size of a large living room. It's large and roughly rectangular, with a couple small tunnels that just lead to dead-ends. That much is still true, save for the addition of some new piles of rocks broken away. It hasn't caved in or anything.

But everything is wrong. Really wrong. Everything, from the walls to the floor and even the ceiling, is covered in drawings. They look like cave paintings, but far worse. They shine a brownish-red in the light. Caked puddles of the stuff lie dried-up on the ground. The paintings are of one symbol, repeated over and over. A circle, with three lines extending out. Two of them bend, so they all go in the same direction, looking like a strange letter "M". It's Groudon's symbol. The same as the symbol in the woods near Slateport. The smell is awful, too. It smells like things died in here. A LOT of things.

Kieth puts a hand on my shoulder, and only by his steady touch do I realize that I'm shaking. I jerk away, backing away from the spectacle. I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't. I don't scare easily. I'll get attached to people, places and things. I'll get angry. But I don't get scared. This, though. This is scaring me senseless. The stench of death fills my nostrils, and I realize what these symbols were drawn with. I have to get out.

I run. Well, I run as well as I can when one has to crouch down to move. I burst out of the tunnel, back into the daylight. My lungs fill with sweet, clean air. Kieth follows me out, calling my name. I hear him, but I don't respond. Now there's a new problem.

Surrounding Jacob, me, and the emerging Kieth, are five people. They're all about the same height, clearly adults, but their bodies and faces are covered by dark red hooded robes. The hoods cover everything above their mouths. Inscribed on the front of the hoods is a sort of reversed version of the symbol in the cave. It's the Groudon "M", but turned upside-down, and inscribed in bright blue.

"...Hello?" Jacob's the first one to speak. None of them reply. Instead, they begin to stride forward. Quickly. Purposefully. Their mouths, all I can see of their faces, contort into fierce, hungry grins.

"Back in the cave. Now!" Kieth barks, taking command. I've temporarily forgotten how to be angry at him, so I let him take my hand and Jacobs, pulling us back into the cave.

"Turn the flashlight off!"

"..."

"Tess!"

Kieth pulls the flashlight out of my hand, turning it off and bathing us in darkness. The only light comes from the opening. As we stand, huddled in a cradle of darkness, a bright blue light shines through the opening. When it fades, I can't see what caused it. But the people in robes are still in my line of sight, and they recoil. One of them yells something. I can't make it out. Then, as one, they run towards the unseen source of light. There are sounds of things being broken – bones? - and then silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"The symbols." Jacob's voice is hushed. "They're just like the one in the grass. What do they mean?"

"That's Groudon's symbol, Jacob. You said so yourself."

"..."

"..."

"...did I?" Now Jacob's going crazy along with me. What a great first day this is turning into.

"They're in here, too." Kieth chimes in.

"Yes, Kieth. Thank you for reminding me."

"I figured the smell would have done that anyway." The banter is helping me clear my head. I already promised myself I would let myself get upset at whatever I found here. And look how well that turned out. Time to get back in control of myself.

Are words are interrupted by the sound of footsteps from outside. Through the exit, I see one of the hooded men return. He has a limp, and his robe is soaked in blood. He stops directly in front of the cave, and sits down. And there he stays.

"He's waiting for us." Kieth speaks what I'm thinking. "he knows we'll have to come out eventually."

"So what do we do?"

"We wait."

"Couldn't we just use our Pokemon? Fight him off?"

"Think about it, Tess. He probably has Pokemon of his own, and the rest of them could by lying in wait for us just outside. If we wait long enough, someone will come along." I hate to admit it, but he's right. As much as I want to just run outside and keep running, waiting it out is all we can do.

And so we wait. For an hour...then two...then three. Kieth tries to talk now and then, to try and fill the silence, but neither Jacob or I respond. I just keep my eyes on the man outside. He just sits there. Lying in wait. Trapping us.

Welcome to Hoenn. We hope you enjoy your stay. Watch out for crazy people in cult robes who like to paint symbols in blood.

At around the three and a half hours-mark, I realize Kieth has stopped talking. He's sitting next to me, and looks like he's trying to puzzle something out in his head. I leave him to it. I don't want to think about why these people are here, or who they are, or why they decided to give this cave – MY cave – a makeover in blood. I don't want to think about what they plan to do with us. So I just curl up into a ball, staring at the blue symbol on the mans hood, in place of his hidden eyes.

Jacob stands up. Kieth looks up at him.

"Where are you going?"

"Not sure yet." Jacob says, looking incredibly calm. Now that I think about it, he hasn't looked panicked, or even remotely concerned, this whole time. Now he picks up the flashlight and wanders off, into one of the little dead-end tunnels. It's just me and Kieth now.

"..."

"..."

"So...these guys locals?"

"Screw you." Kieth just cackles.

"Sorry, sorry."

"..."

"So...what was this place to you?"

"It was just a little hideaway. My brother and I came here all the time to hang out. It was our spot, y'know? It was supposed to be..."

"..."

"...it was supposed to be safe. Safe from any intruders. That's what we thought when we were kids. But these...these people...they just came and left their mark."

"That's what I was thinking. If the symbol outside was near the shipyard, and they're all over here too...maybe they're like marks of ownership."

"Or conquest."

"..."

"..."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Right now, I couldn't tell you what I am."

"..."

"..."

The silence closes around us again. An impenetrable bubble. I'm not sure if it's keeping things out, or shutting them in.

Either way, Jacob returns to pop it.

"There's...something you should see." The flashlight's light glares into my eyes, and I'm momentarily blinded. When my eyes adjust, I see Jacob with a bewildered look in his eyes. He's speaking to both of us, but he's looking at me.

"What is it?"

"I think...I think I found us a way out."

**Shattered Gemstones is posted first on PokemonPodcast. com! Go there to read the next chapter RIGHT NOW, or else force yourself to wait two whole weeks. Who wants to do that? Not you! So go, go, go!**


	24. Chapter 22: Webs of Deception

**Chapter 22**

**Webs of Deception**

_The sun sets. The moon rises in its place. The night is clear, cloudless. The Watcher drinks deep of the dark air._

_The invaders sleep in caves, and tents, and wherever they please. The woods are not theirs, but they feel free to take them anyway. They are filth._

_All but one. Some call him a savior. Some call him a liar, who can't be trusted. He claims to hold the torch. Or, at least, the key to it._

_The watcher gazes on._

**Toby**

We pitch our tent near Mt. Pyre's bay. We haven't gone far in this first day, but a lot has happened. I find as my companions not one person, but two.

I'm not crazy about this Millie girl, but it's clear she isn't going anywhere. We tried to convince her to go back to her sister, but she insisted that it was okay. Besides, she assured us, she only needs to go as far as Fortree. After that, she'll leave us be. To my surprise, Ariana is okay with it, even supporting the idea.

It's okay, though. Maybe it's my new-found responsibility with Checkers kicking in, but I'm fine with having one more kid to look after. And it's not like either of them aren't capable. Millie proved that when she helped me catch the Heracross. As long as Millie can carry her own weight when I ask her to, I'll let her stay. Besides, it might be good for Ariana to have a friend closer to her own age.

Now, the moon is out, with a halo of stars shimmering around it. The sky seems much more open here than back in Sootopolis. No white stone frame to hold the black night sky.

But I'm not wandering around in the dark to admire the scenery. A ways farther up the path, there's a wide ring of lights. Small torches, actually. Some trainers have been battling there all night. With my new horned pessimist of a Pokémon, I thought I should join in for a while before bedding down. I don't feel like sleeping anyway.

Earlier there were a lot of trainers hanging out by the ring. We didn't go over because they all had Pokémon much stronger than Ariana's. She wanted to keep training Lily, and I wanted to help her, so we stayed by the bay. Now, there are only three left. One of them looks over as I approach, and the other two follow suit.

"Hey," I call out. "It isn't too late to join in a little training before bed, is it?"

"Of course not," says one of the three. He steps forward to shake my hand, and I double-take. He's from Lilycove. One of the gym leaders, wearing the red PFH uniforms. One of the two who stayed silent during the speech when we arrived, but leapt into the fray when the Poochyena attacked. I never learned his name.

"I'm Tate. One of the two gym leaders of Mossdeep City." I shake his hand, recalling the tales I've heard of him and his sister. The great Liza and Tate. Twins, child prodigies, supposedly bearers of some psychic link. I knew a lot about Juan, of course, having lived in Sootopolis for so long, but this guy and his sister were the only gym leaders I had ever heard much about. Strange people cause gossip, and these two were far from normal from birth.

Tate is a little younger than I. Short and a little scrawny, with long black hair down to his shoulders. The other two are David, a tall, lanky guy in his 40s with an affinity for bug-types, and Bridget, an attractive blonde wearing all black clothes, but hardly any clothes at all. She gives me a wink with her name, as her Linoone nips at my feet.

I explain why I'm looking for a battle in the dead of night. About my new Pokémon, who has been quite content to stay cooped up in his ball for the time being. I decided it best to find some stronger trainers to crash-test him with.

Blackjack – which is what I've decided to name my new Heracross – looks stoically around when I release him. He eyes the other trainers and Pokémon.

"He looks like a handful," Bridget says, stepping back a little. I'm worried this training session isn't going to happen after all, but Tate steps forward.

"Indeed. I'll take him on." Tate whips out a Poké ball, releasing a floating rock-type Pokémon shaped like a sun. Solrock.

"Oh – Toby, right? Get out your PokéNav. They can scan your Pokémon and give you their movesets." I shuffle around in my pocket, extracting the little green device they gave me back in Lilycove. Upon turning it on, there's a little menu with lots of options. After a moment of blinking at the screen like an idiot, I find the "scanner" button. When I select it, a faint buzzing sound emits from the device.

"Now just hold it up to your Pokémon," Tate tells me. I do, and after a few seconds the screen lights up with a picture of a Heracross, and a list of data.

_HERACROSS_

_Female_

_Level 32_

_-Take Down_

_-Ariel Ace_

_-Brick Break_

_-Fury Attack_

"And this is accurate?" I'm a little surprised by how strong it says Blackjack is. It makes sense, though, as she was clearly the pack leader. I'm just not used to finding such strong Pokémon in the wild. Also, it's female, which I can't say I had thought of.

"It is. The Devon corporation was very kind to us, and they have made sure these PokéNavs will keep us safe. Now then…shall we begin?"

The other two trainers step back, behind the edge of soft light that holds us in. I watch my Pokémon carefully, and I realize I'm nervous. When I started training with Checkers, we had already been together for quite some time. Something tells me that Blackjack, on the other hand, doesn't really like me just yet. If this is how training a wild Pokémon is meant to be, it's not going to be a good time. Ariana had it easy.

But I clench my fist, and nod. If anyone can handle a rowdy wild Pokémon, it's a gym leader. I watch Tate carefully, trying to get a read on him. He has big eyes and a childlike face, which yields confidence but nothing more specific. The kid has as good a poker face as I've ever seen. I know my hand, and he knows his. Lets see who can play their cards the best.

"Let's do this. And don't hold back!" That comes out without my meaning it to. I want to be kind to my Pokémon, but I recall seeing trainers who would only fight against the gym trainers, and always lose. But fighting against such strong opponents made them ambitious, and drove them to become better trainers. Maybe a tough enough fight will help motivate Blackjack to listen to me. Tate nods, and we begin.

"Calm Mind!" I expected Tate's first attack to be a show of great power. Instead, his Solrock is cloaked in a dim violet glow. He's opening with a safe move, raising its power right out the gate. Or maybe he's just stalling to give me time to figure out what to do. I glance down at the PokéNav.

"All right, then…Blackjack! Brick Break!" Blackjack is watching the Solrock uneasily, and takes this as her cue to act. She lowers her head, and makes a charge at the defending Pokémon. I don't think this is actually Brick Break, but the attack still connects. The Solrock moves backwards as if sliding on ice, whirling in a straight line back several feet. It corrects itself, revolving to face us.

"Psychic! Get it off you!" The Solrock's aura changes from light violet to dark, firey purple. Blackjack is enveloped by the same aura, and picked up off the ground. It's similar to the attack Ariana's Vulpix used, but much stronger. Blackjack contorts with sudden pain, and then falls back to the ground. She gets back up, looking more angry than injured. She looks back at me, then turns to face her foe again. We're starting to connect. I can feel her anger, and I'm going to help her fight back.

"Now! Stealth Rock!" The Solrock lifts itself into the air, and begins spinning rapidly. Its aura turns bright green. Around my feet and Tate's, rocks lift into the air, and are pulled into a sort of orbit around the Solrock. As I watch, the rocks collect, sticking to each other and creating larger, lumped-together chunks of rock. Eventually there are 8 of them, all shaped like spikes. The Solrock stops spinning, and the spikes fly away from its body, shooting into the ground around us like bullets into a body.

"What was the point of that?" I know how Stealth Rock works. The stones lie dormant, and then automatically attack any new opponent which enters the battlefield. A good tactic for a team battle, but this is one-one-one.

"And now weave a web with Charge Beam and Psychic!" Tate commands, in lieu of an answer to my question. But he answers by showing.

The Solrock flips onto its back in midair. After a moment, I realize each of the stones protruding from its body is aligned with one of the stealth rocks stuck in the ground around the edge of the battlefield. Blackjack shifts restlessly, but I'm temporarily distracted by what I'm seeing.

Watching psychic-type attacks is like watching the world through a sheet of water. Things warp and distort, but there's still a sort of second image of those things, seeing them as they really are. Columns of this distorted space form between the points on the Solrock's body and the stealth rocks. Just as Tate said, it's like a web. The cylinders of distortion move like the space around them is being pulled in a spiral form. They twist slowly as they strengthen, and begin to gain the purple aura of the Solrock's body.

Suddenly, the Pokémon's aura switches to a bright electric yellow. The air becomes static, and even from a distance I can feel heat radiating off its body, which begins to spark. With a sound like a loud clap, beams of electricity shoot out along the strands of the web, traveling to the stones and back to Solrock.

"Do something!" Bridget shouts from the sidelines, snapping me back to reality. The Solrock has been vulnerable this whole time, and I've just been watching. Time to strike back.

"Blackjack! Take Down!" This time, Blackjack's attack is what I had intended. She leaps into the air, slamming her whole body into the Solrock, and knocking it to the ground. The strands of energy dissapear.

"Do what you will. The trap is set." Tate tells me, raising his eyebrows. The Solrock picks itself up again.

"What was all that?"

"You'll have to find out. Come at me!" This is the first time he's raised his voice. His face is intense. He's enjoying this. Not such a good poker face after all.

"Go in for a Brick Break!" This time, once again, Blackjack seems to obey. Instead of a horn attack, she clenches a clawed fist, driving it into the Solrock and knocking it back a few feet.

"Now, another take down!" Blackjack leaps into the air again, but is suddenly knocked back in midair. Sparks fly in all directions, and Blackjack falls to the ground, limbs shaking. She stands again, but looks very weak.

"How did you…"

"Electric webbing. A favorite tactic of mine. After all, you did tell me to go all out, Toby." Tate gives me a smirk.

Things are bad. I don't know my opponents strategy. He knows how to play his cards better than I could in a decade, and has a good idea of my own hand as well. He's got me in a tough spot, and there's no luck to be found. No way out. None…but charging forward.

We both know what to do. The only way to make any damage before he takes us down. And that's to charge through and endure the pain.

"Blackjack! One last fury attack!" Blackjack makes a guttural war cry, and charges forward. She staggers when she hits the invisible web, but keeps on going. She's in pain, but has the stamina to push through. And the Solrock is dead ahead.

"Psychic!" Finish it!" He speaks the words right as I realize my mistake. Solrock is positioned behind not one strand of psychic webbing, but two. Blackjack and I are both unprepared for this, so when Blackjack hits the second strand it stops, caught in the painful electrical current. Her body writhes in pain as sparks of electricity cocoon her body. Then the Solrock makes its attack, and Blackjacks entire body contorts before falling to the ground. We've lost.

But I think I've gained something, too.

David and Bridget have taken the arena. Bridget's Linoone is taking on David's Beautifly, and not having a hard time. Tate and I sit off to the side.

"So really, what was that back there with the webs?" Tate nods, not taking his eyes off the battle.

"A couple years ago, my sister and I took a trip to Unova. They have Pokémon there that weave webs carrying electrical currents. These webs are sun-shaped, which reminded me of my own Solrock. After spending some time training with these Pokémon in their natural habitat, and observing their behavior, I wondered if I could create my own variation of the move. I actually only perfected it a few months ago. Solrock uses its advanced psychic abilities to create these closed spaces, borders within which and outside of which energy can exist, but not move between. It pushes outside forces away, but pushes internal matter and energy around within it. These are forged between whatever items surround the battlefield, or stealth rocks if there's nothing else at hand. Then Solrock shoots a charge beam into each tube of closed space, where the energy continuously flows. Once the psychic energy settles the closed spaces into place, they turn invisible."

"So you weave a web across the whole arena?"

"Exactly. Upon impact with a strand of the web, a Pokémon will be hit with a strong electrical current. The energy flows back and forth throughout the strands, so some impacts are more severe than others. Your Pokémon being able to break through the one was luck and good timing, nothing more."

"Wow. That's really impressive."

"Thank you. I hope the battle didn't hurt your Pokémon too badly."

"No, no. Blackjack'll be fine. I think a battle that fierce was good for us, you know? Near the end of the battle, when you had her on her last legs, I felt that same connection with her as I do with Checkers. It helped create a bit of a bond between us."

"I'm glad to hear it."

We're quiet for a while after that. I don't really know what else to say. I'm talking with a gym leader, one of the greatest Pokémon trainers in the world, and I don't know what to say. So I just ask the first thing that come to mind.

"So why are you with these guys? Aren't you with the PFH?" He gives a noncommittal shrug.

"Yes, but it will be okay if I'm gone for a little while. My sister is still on duty, and we have Juan. I just wanted to see a little bit of…the new Hoenn, before I have to return. These trainers asked if I would help them train out here,and I agreed. There were a lot more earlier. It was nice."

"Hm." It sounds like I've met another runaway. His reasons are none of my business. But he still decided to ask for mine.

"Why are you here, Toby?" I'm a little taken aback by the question. I'm not sure why.

"I…I went through some tough stuff for a couple years. My Dad passed away, and I was just…lost for a while. When I met my first Pokémon, I found myself again. I came here because…" I can't answer the question. Not because I don't want to, but because I really don't know. I'm struggling.

"I guess just to start over. With my Dad gone, all I had was a small apartment in Sootopolis, and a job at a little casino there. My dad always told me to live my life on my own terms, but I couldn't come up with any terms while I was stuck in Sootopolis. So I decided to take a journey here, and make up my terms as I go along." I haven't thought about this in some time, but the words feel right as I say them. It's the truth, even if I hadn't thought about it before now.

"I'll admit, I envy you." Tate says, a little quieter. "My sister and I always wanted to travel, but rarely had the chance. Because of our…abilities, we were always sheltered. First out of fear from our parents, then from the media once we were able to demonstrate our powers. We underwent training with a psychic who was very strict. We were forbidden from leaving the town. He was the leader of Mossdeep's gym then, and he died when we were only nine. As his only disciples, we were forced to take over. We never had many chances to go anywhere where we could feel free. There's always been some restriction on us. Any trip we did get to take was under heavy supervision by our managers at the gym. They always needed us back sooner than expected. Even now…" He trails off, still keeping his gaze fixed on the battle but no longer paying any real attention to the fight.

It sounds so strange, to live your life with so many restrictions. It's all so foreign to me. My life was lived on the move, from place to place. Until Sootopolis, the longest I lived in a single place was a year. I guess I'm a traveller by nature. Maybe that's part of what drew me here, too. Living a life where that isn't possible doesn't sound like a life worth living. I can see why he's taking any opportunity to feel free now, while he can.

"That's not the only reason I'm out here." Tate says, as if reading my thoughts. Maybe he can.

"My sister Liza…she and I share a bond of minds. Right now, if I wanted to, I could call out to her and have a whole conversation while she's still in Lilycove. But we have other abilities. We can see things. She has the ability for people. She can see things about a person's future, and who they really are inside. I, on the other hand, get visions of the future. Not always specific ones. Sometimes just feelings. And now…I'm getting a very foreboding feeling." His eyes finally disengage from their watching-but-not-watching of the battle before us, and he looks at me.

"Something big is going to happen here. Whatever already happened pales in comparison of what is yet to come. I haven't seen much I can describe, but I've felt it since before we arrived. Something terrible shall begin. I know it will, because it feels right for it to. And it will start soon. There are…things…in the safari zone…"

"The statues?"

"You've seen them, then. When I approached them, I felt something radiating from them. And from the symbol burned in the ground. Those are clues, but to what I do not know. Whatever is set to occur, these are only one strand in a much vaster web." He sighs, and stands up.

"It is time I take my leave. Good luck, Toby. Watch yourself in the forest. It holds more than you know." And he leaves, retreating into the dark path to Lilycove. The ring of fire is still bright, but it only takes a few seconds for his body to be completely swallowed in darkness.

**Remember, each chapter of Shattered Gemstones goes up first on PokemonPodcast. com! Head thee to read teh next chapter right now!**


	25. Chapter 23: Battle to my Beat

**Jacob**

As Tess said it would, the tunnel leads to a dead-end. Or, at least, it once did. Some things are constant, like the damp cave walls. But they can still bear change.

What was once a dead-end has caved in from above. Before me now is a path of rubble, rocks broken through. Once the ceiling of the tunnel, now the stepping stones out from it..

I make my way back through the twisting tunnel. My flashlight pierces through the darkness, but shadows quickly reclaim their place as soon as the light moves away. You can strike at them, but never destroy them. They always return. They endure.

Drip, drip, drip, say the rocks. The ground below my feet is dotted with little puddles. There's a rhythm to the dripping of the water, but not a normal rhythm. No 1-2-3-4 timing. It's more like 1…2…3, 4, 5. 1…2…3, 4, 5. 1…2…it accompanies me back to my friends.

Kieth looks like he's trying to think very hard, but not doing a very good job. But he still gives me a grin when he sees me return. Tess is the same as she was when I left. My flashlight shines in her face before I think to turn it away. Her eyes shine golden in the light, but then she blinks and turns her head away.

Tess looks confused when I say what I found, but agrees to come with me to see the exit. Kieth stays behind to keep watch on the cloaked man. So the two of us enter the tunnel, me leading. We walk in silence. Our feet conspire to make their own rhythm. 1-2, 3-4, 1-2, 3-4…I focus on that, not Tess. I don't know what to say to her. She's calmed down, but I can still see fear in her eyes. And I don't feel it. It's like I know we'll be okay. I still have things to do, and this won't slow me down. That keeps me going. That and the flashlight ahead of me. We both follow it, treading on through the sea of darkness. 1-2, 3-4, 1-2, 3-4…the trip seemed shorter by myself. The shadows grow longer when more people are there to perceive them.

She bumps into me from behind. Once, then twice. Hiccups in the beat.

"Sorry."

"No, it's my fault. Stop for a sec?" I do, and the foot-generated drumbeat ceases. After a moment, I feel her hand slip into mine. It's a little sweaty, a little cold, but very real. It's there, loosely keeping hold.

"There. Now we can keep track of each other." I can't see her face, but I can hear the smile in her voice. She tightens her grip a little, and her hand gets warmer. I feel a surge of happiness, for some strange reason. It's just a hand. Just skin. Nothing important.

But maybe there is. Under the skin, I can feel something. Very faint, but as present as the tunnel walls around us. Another constant. A pulse. A rhythm. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. A living beat. I start to walk in time with it.

When we reach the exit, she lets go of my hand to jog ahead, up into the sunlight. My hand curls up into a fist with the absence of her touch. When I emerge after her, we find ourselves in a sort of crown of rocks. Stones poke out of the ground around us, circling us in. We stand on top of a rocky plateau, a long, narrow outcropping in the side of a larger mountain. It stretches out along the mountainside on either side of us, like a rocky shelf. Below us to the south, I can see the route that took us to the cave. Some trees are growing here, perched precariously on the tall rocks, their roots protruding like veins. Some even poke the horizon from atop the great stones. The sky above us is open, the sun shining with midday light.

Tess walks to the edge of the outcropping, looking down at the route below. I stay in the crown.

"He's still there. The hooded guy." I step forward to look. Indeed, there he is, still stoically staring at the cave entrance below us. Completely oblivious to our new position.

"Are you scared?" She doesn't look like it anymore. I don't know what changed. Maybe standing high above the enemy makes her feel safer in some way. But we're not, not really.

"I was," she says, giving me a smile. "But I'm fine now. Let's go get K-" Her words are cut off by a loud crashing sound behind us, like a rock slide. Tumbling. We turn around with a start, to see the source. A crowd of Geodude and Graveler surrounds us, and they don't look friendly.

"Where did they come from?"

"The rocks." Tess points at the crown of rocks. There are several indents in them that weren't there before. Perfect for a rock-type to conceal itself in. "I think this is their nest. And they don't want us here."

"Then we have to fight them, right?" Tess doesn't answer, but extracts a poke ball in response. Time for another round. My pulse starts to race, and I still feel that fear of using Garnett. But I have to remember to trust my partner. Trust my partner. Trust my partner.

I release Garnett, and feel his own rhythm. The rhythm of our bond. It's new to me, but at the same time it feels familiar. Like the pulse of Tess' hand. It's a weak beat. _Ba-bump….ba-bump…_but it's still there. The burning in his belly pulsates, sending a shiver through my bones. Tess releases her Horsea, and we leap into the fray. Tess' partner sends a sweeping blast of water, knocking back several of the smaller Geodude and Graveler. Some begin to retreat at the sight of the water Pokémon, but most of them do not. They won't be swayed easily. One roars, and charges us.

Garnett's rhythm grows strong. A heavy bass drum _thump_ accompanies a pulse of bright green, bursting outward from his body and knocking down the attacker. The beat grows stronger, loud strike after loud strike, as Garnett lets cannon blasts of green energy out of his mouth. Pokémon after Pokémon is sent flying, and the remaining forces retreat quickly. We have won before our opponents could even begin.

But the beat doesn't stop. It gets louder, stronger. Garnett keeps shooting blasts of energy, aimlessly into the air now. Something's wrong. I can feel it. He can't stop the fire in his belly, the war drum pounding inside him. His body glows green. Like he's overloaded with power. And it's starting to burst. And I realize that I HAVE felt this rhythm, twice before. First on the boat, and then against the PFH soldier.

_Thoom…thoom…THOOM_.

**Tess**

The wild Pokémon are gone, but now there's a bigger problem: Garnett. His body flickers with fire, that same sickly yellow as before. Jacob looks afraid. And if he's afraid, that means we're dealing with something worth fearing.

"Can you stop him?" He doesn't speak. He just jerks his head a little bit, as Garnett lets loose a cannon blast of green light that breaks the base of one of the big, pointed stones into tiny fragments of dust. The pillar tips over, falling near us with a huge _thoom. _Dust flies around us.

"Jacob, talk to me." He just shakes his head. Garnett stops firing blasts, and begins to glow even more intensely than before. A high-pitched noise fills the air. Ringing. It sounds like a heater left on for too long.

"Get down!" In a flash, Jacob breaks out of his panic. He leaps headfirst into me, pushing us both down behind the fallen pillar. Just in time, too. The high-pitched sound reaches a screaming peak, and then stops. There's a moment of silence, save for my breathing and Jacob's. He's on top of me, his attention fixed on the rock in front of us and what lies behind it. Then he whispers something I can barely hear.

"Boom."

Just as the sound leaves his lips, the ground shakes. The sky lights up. Jacob darts to the ground next to me, curled into a ball. His hands grab my arm. He looks terrified. From behind the big rock that shelters us, Garnett releases a wave of blazing green fire. It streams out around and above the fallen stone slab, and I feel the heat. Jacob squeezes his eyes shut, squeezing my arm so hard it hurts. But for some reason, I'm as calm as can be. I have to be. I want to protect Jacob, and so I have to be strong for him when he breaks. So I curl up next to him, and we wait out the blast. The heat is tangible through the stone, and I'm afraid our protection will break. But it holds.

"It's too loud…" Jacob moans softly.

"We're safe back here, Jacob. Don't worry."

"It's in my head…" Either he's going crazy, or he picked a very bad time to form a stronger bond with Garnett. I try to think of a way to calm him down, but now he's freaking me out a little. So I just stay quiet.

The wave ends. The air is still hot, but it's over. I peek my head out, expecting to see Garnett sound asleep in a crater of his own power, like he was on the boat. But he's still standing, breathing hard. And he's staring standoffishly at something. Something I had forgotten about in the moment of the blast.

"Charybdis." My Horsea is out there, facing off against Garnett. He teeters atop a rock, which I can only assume he managed to use as shelter, as he looks fairly unfazed by the attack. As I watch, he begins spinning, whipping up a Twister. The whirlwind ignites with purple flame and is sent flying into Garnett. The steel-type is picked up, spun around, and spat out by the gale, but lands on his feet. He breathes more heavily than before. He looks unfazed, and more angry than anything.

"One, two…one, two…" Jacob mutters form the ground. He's losing it. This has to end soon. But if Garnett is out of control, and even Jacob can't get through to him, there's only one thing left to do.

"Keep going, Char!" I call, standing up. I glance down at Jacob, who looks up at me with big, confused eyes. He shrinks into the ground.

"I'm sorry for this, Jacob." He just looks away. Like he's disgusted with me. But what can I do? As much as it hurts to do it, the only surefire way to stop this is to take Garnett down.

"One, two…One, two!" As Jacob speaks, Garnett unleashes two blasts of energy. _THOOM! THOOM! _Charybdis dodges the first, but the second makes impact. But my Horsea is strong, and withstands the bolt.

"One, two!" Jacob speaks, Garnett fires again. Luckily, his shots are predictable, not specifically aimed at Char, and my Pokémon dodges them both.

"Char, Twister!" Charybdis begins spinning, but not in time. Jacob sounds off again and his Pokémon's attack follows. Charybdis is knocked down for a minute, but manages to get back upright.

It's like Jacob is predicting the attacks of his Pokémon. He's not giving commands, but he's picking up what his Aron is about to do, on some level. And there's a rhythm to it. I bend down, touching his face. He looks up at me.

"Keep going, Jacob. Keep counting that beat." He blinks, and then looks away again. Concentrating.

"One, two!" Two blasts, a pause to recharge. I let him keep going for a few beats while Char dodges. Getting the beat stuck in my head. Two beats of attack, six of recharging. Boom! Boom! One-two-three one-two-three, boom! Boom! One-two-three one-two-three. And my Pokémon and I start to develop the counter-rhythm of a plan. We see the same opening, and build a strategy as one, in the same moment. It begins right after Garnett attacks.

"Char, Twister! Charge it up until I say go!" Charybdis begins to spin as soon as his opponent's attack ends. He times the bursts of purple flame so they revolve around him, making bigger and bigger clumps of fire until his body is obscured by a flickering, whirling violet shield. He moves faster than I have ever seen him move before.

…one-two-three. Boom! Boom! Garnett shoots two more blasts of green energy. I had expected the fire to deflect it, but the speed and ferocity of my Pokémon's cyclone is so great that it even manages to snare a good portion of Garnett's attack along for the ride. Despite the intensity of Garnett's blasts, Charybdis's whirling shield is faster. Char is now completely invisible behind a revolving funnel of bright purple and green. It looks like a huge, neon bonfire. But it still isn't strong enough. We have to let it build even more in order to knock the Aron out.

Boom! Boom! One-two-three, one-two-three…boom! Boom! One-two-three, one-two-three…Char keeps taking more and more of Garnett's own assault into the twister. Charybdis' body is a bright neon torch, and I even see some flickers of blinding white. It must be getting hot in there. Time to launch this counter-strike.

"Changing." Jacob says, standing up and putting his hand on my shoulder. "The tempo is changing!" Sure enough, garnett doesn't attack. 1-2-3, 1-2-3…nothing.

"Now's our chance, Char!"

"No!" Jacob tightens his grip. "There's something else. Like another part to the beat…tk, tk, tk. Look at the air around him."

The afternoon sun glares in my eyes, but after a moment I see it. There's a dome-shaped cover of faint green light around Garnett's little body. It crackles with yellow energy.

"Tk, tk, tk, tk…a small but strong sound. Get it?" I do. It's a barrier. A thin shell of energy. And if it's as strong as Jacob seems to think, we may not be able to penetrate it.

"It's a buildup. It'll end soon." Jacob taps his foot to the beat that only exists in his head.

"What happens then?"

"Not sure." So it's a standoff, then. Jacob's Aron holds its shield, and Charybdis keeps spinning around inside his cyclone. I can feel his fatigue, and I just tell him to hold on a little longer.

"No!" Jacob cries out. His foot stops tapping. Before us, the energy around Garnett shrinks, like its returning into his body.

"Now, Char!" As the words leave my mouth, Garnett releases a fan of green energy beams, fanning out from his mouth. The beams dance around, burning searing lines into the ground. They move like beams of light reflected by a prism. I can feel the heat from our shelter, and I'm sure Char won't be able to handle it. And yet, he does.

Charybdis doesn't release the Twister. It begins to move, but no little blue Horsea appears in its place. Somehow, he's moving with it. I can feel that something is different in there, that he has some newfound strength allowing him to control his attack like this. As the energy beams from Garnett's mouth sear into the ground and through the air, the cyclone spins around them, maneuvering through the air. Garnett's body is fixed in its place, his feet digging into the ground. His eyes are squeezed shut.

Charybdis moves behind Garnett, and the spinning green torch slams into him. The force of the twister picks him up, and his body is swallowed by the flame before spitting him back out. He lands on the ground with the metal on his back dented and singed. Jacob flinches as he lands.

The cyclone surrounding my Pokémon starts to move differently. It takes me a minute to realize that all the energy it was carrying is being sucked in by Charybdis. But how can he hold it? As the glaring neon fire is sucked up by his snout, the whirlwind clears up, and then ceases entirely. And I see.

Charybdis has changed. The curved horns on the sides of his head are now sleek and razor-sharp, and so long that they touch around the back of his head, like a spiky halo. His forehead has three similar horns, like razor blades on his skull. The small fins he once had are now large, fanning wing-like things shaped a little like claws. He's larger, and his scales are darker and sleek. Charybdis has evolved. So that was the flash of white light within the twister, and the extra surge of power I felt from within him. His chest is puffed up with the excess of power he has swallowed, and now it's his turn to blow.

"The beat is gone." Jacob tugs at my arm. "The beat is gone! Just stop it!" But as he speaks, Charybdis lets loose, fueled by a new-found rage. An enormous cannon-fire blast of fire erupts from his mouth, washing over Garnett like a wave. When it ends, the little thing is on his back. Not moving. Jacob runs for him.

"Is he okay?" Jacob scoops up his Pokémon, who looks much smaller in his arms. Clearly, it's over.

"I think he will be." Jacob looks sad. Not like he's about to cry, just sort of defeated. I feel bad for him. Not being able to control your own Pokémon is a scary thought. Char just proved himself to be far stronger than I had thought, so if he went off the handle it could be almost as hard to contain. For now, I return him to his ball. I've got a little twinge of pride at being able to evolve him, but now isn't the time to congratulate myself.

"Hey." Jacob walks up behind me. "Can we…not tell Kieth about this?"

"Why?" Jacob looks away, and his face gets red.

"I just…I don't want to make a big deal out of it. So if someone has to know what happened, I…I'd rather it was you." In a weird way, I'm touched. I still don't fully understand Jacob, but if it'll make up for beating down his Pokemon I will be more than glad to be his secret keeper.

"Hey, stranger." Kieth raises his eyebrows wearily as I return.

"Sorry, were we gone long?"

"A bit." He stands up, stretching his back so hard he's bending over backwards. "Our buddy left."

I look outside, and it's true. To my relief, the hooded man is gone. Maybe he saw the battle from below, and got scared off. Hopefully, he'll stay gone.

"Heard some commotion from up there. You guys okay?"

"Oh…it was nothing. Just some wild Geodude." I give him my most convincing smirk. "Nothing we couldn't handle. Jacob was especially impressive, and Charybdis evolved. Too bad you missed it."

"No kidding? Congrats on the Seadra! See, I knew you were good." I give him a fictionalized account of the epic battle as we head up the tunnel and out of the cave. This time, I lead. And I don't offer him my hand.

**Jacob**

It's night again. We spent the afternoon on the plateau. Talking. Pondering. Exploring. The ledge leads on for quite a ways, like a wide path along the side of the mountains. We decide to start following that path tomorrow.

There's still an underlying paranoia of the return of the hooded men, so we decide to keep watch. Tess takes it first. It seems like she did what I asked. Kieth didn't ask about Garnett, and I didn't tell.

I can't sleep. Staring at the dark ceiling of the tent is like looking at a night sky that doesn't want you to see it. Pointless. So I go outside.

Tess sits leaned against the same stone slab we used to protect ourselves with, at the edge of the now-broken crown. The flashlight is rigged up on the rock at just the right position to shine down on her lap, where she's holding something she is focusing very intently on. Her Horsea – or Seadra, now – rocks back and forth on its tail in front of her. When I approach, I realize its eyes are closed. It has fallen asleep standing up.

"Hey. Sit down." Tess doesn't look surprised that I'm awake. Maybe she's been expecting me. I walk over, sitting down by her side. The rock feels very cool against my back, and I feel some goosebumps rise on my skin. Or maybe they aren't from the cold.

The thing in Tess' hand is a small notebook. She holds it in one hand, and a pencil in the other. She's drawing something. Something that looks a lot like…

"It's Charybdis." She taps the half-finished picture with her pencil for emphasis. "After he evolved, I wanted to capture his new form. I'm going to try and draw how he looked before, too." She looks over at her sleeping Pokémon with a gaze of affection.

"Why?" I thought it, but didn't really mean to say it. Tess just shrugs.

"I guess I'm not the best at handling change, y'know? I was proud when he evolved, but I felt like I had lost the old him. So this way I can have Charybdis as he is now, and as he used to be. I'll even write down his moves as I go. It'll be kinda like my own Pokédex."

I don't really have anything to say to that. I don't get the sentimentality. So I just stay quiet. After a beat, she begins to draw again. Even something as small as a pencil against paper as a sort of soft, irregular rhythm to it. _Skrthaskrtcha. Shkshkshkshkshk. Skrtchasckrtcha. Shkshkshkshkshk._

"Are you mad at me?" With the question, she halts her graphite drumstick. Or maybe I just stop paying attention to it.

"Um…" Why would she ask me that?

"I mean, for beating down on Garnett." She won't look me in the eyes, instead staring intently at the unfinished sketch.

"No. I should have been able to stop him. And he'll be fine." A full measure of silence. I feel the pang of regret for my own uselessness in the battle.

"How did you do that, with the rhythm?"

"I don't know." I lie. Better than to tell her the truth. How holding her hand, and feeling her pulse, tuned me into a whole new kind of communication. I could sense the pulsating beat of my Pokémon's attacks before they happened. But even after Garnett was defeated, I could feel the faint beat of his heart, even from across the battlefield. Sensing him on that level might have brought me a little closer to him. And if I can keep following the rhythmic flow of the fire in his belly…maybe I can learn to control his power.

"For the record, I thought it was amazing." She flashes a grin at me, and quickly looks back to her sketch pad. I feel my face flush. If only I could learn to control that, too.

But I can't. So instead, I just ignore it and watch her draw. I don't really have an eye for art, but I can tell she's pretty good. I follow the sounds of the pencil, and then pick up another sound. The gentle, faint beat of her breathing. I move in a little to hear it better. It's soft, and low, and good. And soon, I find myself drifting in it, and into sleep.

**Don't forget, you can read the next chapter RIGHT NOW at PokemonPodcast. com! So do that!**


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